Normally I’d be the first one to dismiss the recent U.S. terror alert as a ploy to convince people that intrusive government surveillance is justified. But given this week’s astrology, I’m not so sure.

On Friday, the U.S. State Department announced it would close 22 embassies and consulates for a day and issued a warning to travelers. It didn’t explain the unprecedented move, other than to say there’s an imminent threat of an attack by al Qaeda, particularly in Yemen.

The timing certainly is suspicious. Two days earlier, a new report in the Guardian revealed the most damning evidence to date that the National Security Agency, despite its denials, maintains vast databases of detailed information on U.S. citizens that can be easily accessed without a warrant. Further, there’s growing support in Congress to limit NSA spying.

As if that’s not enough, reports are beginning to surface in the media that the attack on the consulate in Benghazi was related to illegal CIA activities and that conflicting stories by members of the Obama administration were attempts to protect the CIA. This isn’t new information; alternative news sources had the story long ago, but it’s finally going mainstream.

All in all, that would give the administration plenty of incentive to concoct a new crisis intended to instill fear and convince people that the heavy surveillance is for their own protection. Judging from the comments on news websites, a majority isn’t buying it. It just smells so obviously political.

Ironically, there just might be something to the warning – at least, from an astrological perspective. And who knows, maybe someone in government actually did consult an astrologer … um, OK, probably not. Astrologically, this is one of the most dangerous periods of the year, with Jupiter forming a T-square with Uranus and Pluto for most of August. Adding more weight to the possibility of a threat, Interpol also issued a warning, the reason being the alleged escape of allegedly hundreds of alleged terrorists from prisons in Libya, Pakistan, and Iraq. Absent confirmation by an independent source, I guess we have to take their word for it.

The Jupiter-Pluto opposition isn’t exact until Wednesday, but you can see it in the chart for Tuesday’s New Moon in Leo. Mars also is involved, although the influence began waning after his square with Uranus last Wednesday. As it so happens, the Jupiter-Pluto opposition is exact just as Jupiter is rising over Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, with Pluto on the Descendant. So it’s entirely plausible that violence could erupt in these locations or emanate from it. The line extends through Eastern Europe, as well.

The question is, “dangerous” for whom? It’s hardly a stretch to imagine increased violence in the Middle East or North Africa. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a terrorist attack. It could be another wave of deadly protests, financial collapse, more train or plane crashes, violent weather, or all of the above. Upon reading the State Department’s broad warning, I was struck by how much it’s like an astrological prediction. I’ve seen indications in clients’ charts of increased risk of accidents, but I sometimes hesitate to mention it to them – not because I worry it might be a self-fulfilling prophecy, but because it doesn’t do much good to tell someone, “Be careful, you might have an accident.” There’s a reason they’re called accidents. No matter how careful you are, you can’t foresee all possibilities, nor can you control the carelessness of others. Likewise, what good does it do to tell travelers to exercise caution for the next month? Should they not use public transportation anywhere in the world or visit popular tourist attractions? Avoid everyone wearing a backpack, especially if they look Middle Eastern? Not go to bars known to be terrorist hangouts? It’s hard to know the purpose of such an extensive warning but not hard to imagine ulterior motives.

Despite what I wrote above, I do believe it’s possible we’re being played. It would be a gamble, for sure. If the administration wins – if they manage to “foil” a major attack – they’ll have to jump through hoops to convince the public that the threat was real and even more hoops to prove that NSA spying caught the bad guys. If they lose and don’t stop a major attack, it’s even more of a risk. Then, it’s possible they don’t give a rat’s ass about public opinion but are attempting to keep Congress in line. I won’t discount the possibility that the biggest danger we face in the coming months – indeed for several years ahead – isn’t from terrorists but from our own government and its corporate sponsors.

I’ve been pondering whether the current planetary configuration indicates an attack (if indeed there is one) from a bona fide terrorist group or whether it looks more like an inside job. Obviously, the inside job would be more outrageous, but both are diabolical acts intended to kill people for political reasons. They both look the same on the outside, and I’m not sure how I’d tell the difference in a chart. Pluto’s involvement in the T-square suggests covert, shadowy operations, but that could refer to terrorist groups with or without links to the CIA and other Western intelligence agencies.

If and when an event occurs, the chart could provide more specifics, and I’ll try to post an analysis as quickly as possible. In the meantime, let’s take a look at the New Moon chart and aspects for the rest of the week.

The first thing you might notice in the New Moon chart is that Pluto is near the Ascendant in Washington – the mirror of the chart for the Jupiter-Pluto opposition in the Middle East. Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury all are in the seventh house, which in mundane astrology signifies open enemies as well as allies. The New Moon is in the eighth house, in a waning trine to Uranus in Aries in the third house. Uranus signifies protests, riots, and explosions. The third house is associated with local transportation – subways, commuter traffic, intercity railways, etc. – and communications, including Internet traffic. The eighth house is associated with Scorpio and death. It also rules loans to and from other countries. Jupiter rules national banks and the official state religion. Rather than speculating on all the possible scenarios, I’ll leave that to you.

I know that many of you want to know how the New Moon will affect you personally. As usual, that depends on where it falls in your natal chart, and that has little to do with your Sun sign. If you’re an early degree Rising Leo, then the New Moon will fall in your first house, a wild card you can use to advance any number of goals, particularly if they’re relationship-oriented. If you have planets near 14 degrees Leo or Sagittarius, they will be positively aspected by this New Moon. Planets near 14 degrees of Scorpio, Taurus, or Aquarius will be tensely aspected, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything negative. It could simply be an indication of new developments in a challenging situation of which you already aware. Also, think back to what was going on in your life near the solar eclipse on May 9. Eclipse events sometimes don’t unfold until three months later.

You’ll feel the Jupiter-Pluto opposition personally if you have a transit from Jupiter, Uranus, or Pluto to a personal planet in your chart. In that case, you’ll have a complicated multiple transit that is beyond this column to explore. I’m not doing written reports yet (I’ll have news about that in a few weeks), but I am available for a limited number of telephone consultations. Use the contact form in the sidebar to contact me if you’d like to schedule a reading. If you don’t have a transit to a personal planet but have an idea of how the Uranus-Pluto square has been playing out in your life, look for major developments this week at the New Moon. Although we’re in a tense period overall, it’s possible that individual breakthroughs could be quite positive. The biggest danger may be too much of a good thing. Take care not to bite off more than you can chew. It’s also possible that a change, however positive, could come at an inconvenient time or require major adjustments, some of which could be upsetting.

Looking at the rest of the week, Mercury enters Leo on Thursday after spending an unusually long stay in Cancer. The Messenger typically blows through a sign in two weeks, but he spent two months in Cancer due to his retrograde cycle. As long as Jupiter and Mars remain in emotionally driven Cancer, decisions based on feelings will continue to rule the day. We may notice a small difference with Mercury in Leo, although reason may not be restored until Mercury and the Sun enter Virgo later this month. By then, Venus will be in her own sign of Libra, which also should help restore some balance, especially if events in the next week or two cause widespread fear and panic.

On Sunday (August 11), Mercury squares Saturn, a challenging aspect that nonetheless is conducive for heavy mental lifting and reasoning through problems. Sometimes looking out for Number One requires tough self-discipline, but it will pay off in the long run.

Much love and courage to you all,
Pat