The chemical attack in Damascus, well I am assuming that there were chemical attacks and the evidence seems to be pretty conclusive has left the Western leaders with a big, big dilemma. We all know well that public opinion in the UK and the US has been quite anti-interventionist in regard to Syria, simply because of the long drawn out conflicts in Iraq and especially Afghanistan which dragged on for years costing thousands of military lives for little or no benefit or appreciable gain. The people just don’t want to see their brave boys and girls in the forces dragged into another Middle Eastern conflict with no exit strategy apparent if you get bogged down into it. Syria is a viper’s nest of one faction and tribe against another and within the country you have Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Turks, Christians, Druze, Alawitee Shias and Arab Sunnis all of who have their own personal agendas. You may please one side with any action you take but you may upset the others.
You know, often in these Middle Eastern countries you need a strong dictator to keep a hold over all the differing factions. It was the same with Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Gaddafi in Libya, Mubarak in Egypt. The thing is, what happens when that dictator gets above his station and starts persecuting the people? What happens when he bombs them with chemical weapons like Hussein did and now Assad seems to have done? Do you intervene and potentially get into another Iraq or Vietnam or do you stand back, shrug your shoulders and condone the use of chemical weapons on people? The parallels with Vietnam and the late 60’s when Uranus and Pluto were conjunct are rather striking and now those planets have come together in a square aspect. Could Syria turn out to be Obama’s Vietnam?
I raise the question because of Obama’s chart and where the planets are now in relation to it. Here is Obama’s natal chart on the inside ring and the transiting planets on the outside, set for the 9th September, the day that Congress will debate to potential of using military force on Syria. I focus on Neptune sitting in Obama’s 9th house, the house of overseas issues and affairs. As you will know from my blog, Neptune rules chemicals, gas, suffering sacrifice, all nasty toxic affairs going on hidden from view. This was one issue that Obama was always going to have to deal with at some point, it was sitting in his chart waiting to be activated, this was his Presidential dilemma.
Transiting Saturn from October 2012 just before Obama got re-elected was just entering his 9th house of overseas issues as was the transiting North Node moving clockwise entering his 9th house crossing his Midheaven from his 10th. These two influences are now converging on Obama’s natal Neptune. I said back in November 2012 just after Obama had one that his main focus would be foreign policy and potentially overseas conflicts in his second term as Saturn tests you and brings you difficulties to deal with and the North Node brings fate and destiny to bare.
The 9th September could prove to be a crucial day for Obama and his presidency. On that day there is a square in the skies over us as Mars, the planet of action, force and war makes a square to Saturn, the planet of ambition, and administration. On that day Congress votes whether to back Obama’s desire to send a military strike into Syria. That same square focuses in on Obama’s 9th house Neptune. The fact that Obama has passed the buck to congress to make the decision is indicated by transiting Neptune which is now opposing Obama’s natal Pluto and making a square to his natal Moon. Pluto (via Scorpio) rules Obama’s 9th and 10th houses, his overseas commitments and his public image, his career. Neptune is bringing doubt, doubt to his emotions (Moon) and to his Presidency. Neptune of course is transiting through his first house also weakens him as a person and is also the symbol as I said of the chemical attacks too. The dilemma (opposition) he faces here is death and destruction (Pluto) on a mass scale through chemical weapons (Neptune). Do you act, don’t you, do you let other’s make the decisions for you or do you act without their approval? The vote in the UK held over the Syrian crisis even though David Cameron lost has given Obama that get out clause that he needed. Yes it is a risky strategy to let others make the decision to act in a warlike manner even if you give the lead, but I think it is a calculated risk that Obama has decided to take. After all, he does not have to face another election in his life. If he loses he will still be President until 2016, but one I suspect one with a heavy heart if Congress does not back the use of force.
With the square aspect indicating from Mars to his natal Neptune indicating the intervention of another element to aid his handling of this overseas problem, I suspect that Congress will vote in the affirmative, after all Mars now in Leo does want to take action and will accept most if any challenges issues to it. Then the onus will switch to Obama and how to handle Syria. If you send cruise missiles in and destroy a few buildings will that stop Assad in his tracks? It will certainly upset the Russians, Iranians and the Chinese and what happens once the missiles have done their job and if Assad continues to use these horrible weapons again? Do you commit forces into Syria, arm the rebels who may have Al Qaida elements within them or continue to rain down air strikes on an already war torn country with the likelihood of considerable civilian casualties or send in special forces to try to eliminate Assad with no one in place to take over? Trust me this is not going to be an easy challenge to take on and one where I cannot see any solution, indeed this could be Obama’s Vietnam waiting to happen.
