Yes, Iran is a wildcard. Thats why I focused on the 47 year cycle, because this very long extended transit of Mars thru Leo is related to them Zodiacally.

Prior to 1962-63, Mars had an extended transit through Leo in 1915-16. This was the time of the Sykes-Picot agreement, which reneged on T.E. Lawrence’s promise of a unified Arab region in return for their allegiance to the Allied powers against the Ottoman Empire in WWI. Instead, Britain, France, and Russia divvied up the Arab lands into spheres of influence, which eventually resulted in what we now know as Iran, Iraq, and Israel. This was a turning point in Arab relations with the West and planted some of the seeds of the current cycle of violence in which we find ourselves embroiled.

I actually tend to agree with you about Obama. I think he did the right thing, not that he had much of a choice to begin with. And I say that despite knowing about the pattern of Mars. It’s not easy pulling out immediately or staying indefinitely, so he’s splitting the difference. He’s making a bit of a gamble that the 30,000 will be able to make a difference over there. He has a military solution, but does he have a political solution? Karzai is unreliable and if he’s seen as too much of a puppet then he’ll be gotten rid of when we leave and we’re back to square one. Meanwhile al-Quaeda grows in strength in Pakistan and they seem to be half-hearted about cracking down on them. What’s interesting to me is that there is one country which shares our interest in Afghanistan’s fate: Iran. In fact, before Bush labeled Iran part of the Axis of Evil, he didn’t mind having Iranian troops help us in the initial 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. Since relations have soured and Ahmadinejad is unreasonable, they may cut off their nose to spite their face if it means doing anything that looks like helping America. Given Nick’s findings with Saturn in Libra and Iran, this is all starting to look very interesting…

As for what you are calling “Mars’ cycle,” Ah, yes. now we are getting somewhere.

It might be good to explain that to people a little more, at least briefly. Like what you mean when you say “this Mars retrograde that is about to happen is in the same part of Mars’ cycle as…”

What you are saying is that this is the first time Mars has made this particular alignment (Retrograde) in this general part of the sky since 1995. He goes full circle and makes 7 of these alignments in successive regions of the Zodiac. Then he makes another circle etc

I get it. I’m just not so sure this cycle impresses me personally as much as the others. For instance, in the more Zodiacally precise 47 year cycle we notice the last two times Mars went retrograde completely within the confines of tropical Leo was 1962-63 and 1915-16.

Personally I think Obama did the right thing wrt Afghanistan and that he and it will be fine. I also think that I’m in the minority there and that the people who don’t like his decision or think he screwed up will tend to look for and find reasons to believe they are right. I hope they are wrong, so maybe that’s why I look elsewhere.

I’m sorry but I don’t have control over where Mars decides to go retrograde. Mars only goes retrograde in 7 unique areas of the zodiac before the periods start overlapping, which is what the 15-year cycle is about. So this Mars retrograde that is about to happen is in the same part of Mars’ cycle as 1995, 1980, 1965 and so on. The Mars retrogrades are related zodiacally only roughly, but that is not what is important, what is important is that it is related to one of Mars’ 7 retrogrades. And as it turns out, there are obvious connections between these periods of time that everyone is very quick about being able to point out. It’s not about signs. Although the other recurrence periods of Mars are certainly worth investigating.

Fact #1)Sibley SP Mars entered the shadow of retrograde (passed the point of his eventual station direct) at 00′ 01″ Libra
Fact #2)On Dec 7, 1941 Sibley SP Mars was located at 00′ 34″
Fact #3)The difference between these two amounts is slightly larger than one day’s avg motion for Mars -which is 00′ 31″ or 0.524°/day.

Fact #4)Sibley SP Mars stationed RX at 18′ 42″ Libra
Fact #5)On Sep 11, 2001 Sibley SP Mars was located at 18′ 34″ Libra
Fact #6)this is much less than the amount of one day’s avg motion for Mars

So, within a very small orb of zodiacal longitude we see that Sibley SP Mars’ entry into the shadow period and station Rx coincide with the two major attacks on American soil. This is a factual statement which ties together the above 6 facts.

Make of it what you will, but it is factual.

As for playing into sceptics hands, I am sure what a sceptic would say to your post is the following: OK, so every 15 years for a period spanning 45 yrs there is a war. so what? does this happen every 15 yrs without fail? even if it does it doesnt prove anything because there is a war somewhere almost all the time.

As an astrologer, when I see your examples spanning 1/4 of the zodiacal signs I have to agree. If you keep hopping back by 15 years for 3 more 45 yr periods you will have spanned the entire Zodiac in 180 yrs. IF your War correlation holds up that long what you will have then is a collection of Mars events which happened somewhere near a Mars retrograde.

Mars’ synodic cycle lasts 779.96 days. Mars will be retrograde for 60-80 days during this cycle. Add in your additional orb of 42 days (a few weeks) on either side of the retrograde for the events above and you have a period of approx 110 days out of 780 in which you are “predicting” a Mars type event. That’s basically 1/8 or 14%. So essentially if I randomly pick an event out of a hat I have approx a 1/8 chance of it falling in one of the periods you describe above. For 5 random events to fall in said period my chances are much smaller but not what I think a scientist would call “statistically significant.”

Your astronomy here is very crude. What you are calling a “synodic cycle” here is simply the roughest way of approximating the coincidence of Mars’ synodic period of 2.135 years and sidereal period of 1.881 years with a solar year of 365.24 days.

There is much more accurate astronomy which has been known since the time of the Babylonians and was used by Ptolemy in the Almagest to initially develop his models.

In the most accurate cycle Mars makes 42 sidereal cycles and 37 synodic cycles in 79 years. there are also slightly less accurate 32-year cycle and 47-year cycle

As I demonstrated above these more accurate cycles will actually produce a Mars event in the same zodiacal sign. If I saw a correlation with a series of Mars events which also fit with the characteristics of that Sign then I would be very impressed.

What I was able to demonstrate in this article is that particular Mars retrograde periods are undeniably thematically related across the 15-year cycle in such a way that doesn’t suggest I’m seeing a pattern where none exists, since even people unaware of astrology already draw the comparisons between these events. And then there’s the fact that this is what Mars is purported to be about: war, aggression. That is something that could possibly give skeptics more to chew on, rather than the leaps and bounds they would have to make to accept what you’re saying.

as for your “orbs” or what you are calling a synodic cycle, I call it loose astronomy then. you don’t just go back by 15’s

in just under 15 years, Mars completes 7 synodic cycles and just under 8 sidereal cycles, yes.

However, we can expect to get a more accurate 32-year cycle, a still more accurate 47-year cycle, and an even more accurate 79-year cycle.

To wit: Mars will station Rx at 19 Leo on Saturday, Dec 20 2009

he stationed Rx at 11 Leo Dec 12, 1978
he stationed Rx at 24 Leo Dec 25, 1962
he stationed Rx at 16 Leo Dec 17, 1930

Mars completes approximately 42 sidereal cycles and 37 synodic cycles in approximately 79 years.

as for the rest, all i said about Sibley SP Mars was:

within a few years (=days in transit) of entering the shadow and of stationing Rx we saw the only two major attacks on American soil.

those are the facts.

I would be using pretty damn loose orbs if I said SP Mars stationing retrograde in mid-2006 was only relevant for an actual Mars retrograde beginning in late 2009, while completely over-looking one that began in late 2007. Oh wait.

I don’t doubt that many people would point to July 4th 1776 as the birth of this country. It does not mean that it is the definitive beginning, and there are interesting arguments for other dates. And if it is July 4th 1776, there are several times to pick from within that day, each with their own arguments.

The supposed “contested” nature of July 4, 1776 as the birth of the USA is an aberration of some astrologers wishful thinking, IMO. Ask 1,000 people on the street and you will get better than 900 tell you that the USA was founded on that date. I would bet good $ on that.

Beyond that, the Sibley chart simply works. The proof is in the pudding. We had a major transit opposition across the horizon axis of that chart at 9-11 and again on the date our president escalates the original war which was meant to deal with 9-11. As for the progressions, a few years is the equivalent of a few days -so the orbs are way tighter than the few weeks you say you are using.

I still don’t see how any other war compares to this one (afghanistan). 1) It is a direct and justified response to an attack on our soil and 2)a timeline for withdrawal was given at the same time as the surge announcement. I don’t see how any other war meets those two conditions.