How ‘country’ astrology works and the Hamas/Israeli war

Anytime something is ‘born’, an astrology chart is created. It reveals how the energy of the moment is embedded into the entity, whether it’s a person, a business, a marriage or a country. 

Deciding when a country is ‘born’ can be difficult. Astrologers debate historic details and timing in order to secure accurate charts. We estimate how long it took for a speech to take place before a declaration was made or a document was signed (5.05pm or 5.35? - It makes a difference sometimes!). The older the nation, the less accurate the chart is likely to be.

Which is why modern countries can be so fascinating. We have tight ‘birth’ times for them and accurate charts can be drawn up. Like this chart for Israel, which was declared on 14 May 1948 at 4pm. As the years go by and events take place, we can test the voracity of the chart and gain interesting insights into current and potential happenings in that nation.

We read a country’s chart in a similar way to an individual’s. However the meaning of the houses and planets shift in emphasis. For instance the second house in a person’s chart shows income and finances, in a national chart it’s the national assets and financial institutions. The fifth house describes an individual’s creative ventures, but in a country chart it shows the cultural atmosphere and national celebrations. And while the Moon describes an individual’s instinctive emotions and reactions, in a nation’s chart it describes the people as a mass, groundswell opinion and the collective ‘urges’ of a nation.

With all this in mind, the recent invasion by Hamas into Israel came as no surprise to astrologers. Many mundane astrologers (the term for the study of the astrology of nations) had already foreseen trouble and big events at this time. 

Transiting Mars had just completed a conjunction with the South Node - a combination that had been active on the day of the 9/11 attacks - and it was configured to a square with Pluto, which is currently stationing direct. This makes for EXTREME tension tied in with a karmic sense of the past returning and the future being challenged. 

Keep in mind that big planetary configurations happen all the time, usually with little impact. However this is a great example of how events can manifest in dramatic ways, if the current planetary energy ties in with your natal birth chart.

Above you can see Israel’s chart, overlaid with the progressions (middle ring) and transits of Oct 7 (outer ring), when Hamas announced its invasion. The Mars/Nodal axis/Pluto configuration sits right on top of Israel’s Ascendent/Descendent and IC. It’s an astrological perfect hit.

Mars brings attack. The South Node revisits the past and brings a sense of fate. Pluto brings intensity, fear and a threat to the basic stability of the nation and its future. 

To predict something comfortably, astrologers will look for multiple indicators that suggest similar themes. And here you have it with the progressed Mars and MC coming to conjunct in the 12th house, along with transiting Saturn opposing the natal Mars across the 5th/11th houses. This is the axis of leisure, friendship and fun, so it matches accurately that the first victims were attending a dance music festival - enjoying leisure.

This is a terrible event, the latest in a long line of terrible events that Israel has both endured and inflicted since its birth in 1948. My sympathies are with all the civilians who have been injured and killed and my heart bleeds for the families involved on both the Palestinian and Israeli sides. 

Looking to the chart, we can try to get a read on the future course of this conflict. However it’s tricky, as many charts are relevant in a conflict ( eg, the charts of the different leaders, Palestine, the Gaza Strip armistice). But we CAN see the Israeli experience via the Israel chart. 

Once Pluto turns direct on Oct 11, it separates from the Nodes, easing ongoing tension. Mars moves off into Scorpio later this week, breaking some of the tension, but adding to Israel’s firepower and sense of vengeance. Mars in Scorpio is like a ninja - entirely hidden and entirely successful in its mission to destroy. I think that things look very positive from the Israel perspective.

Around Dec 31 this year, Jupiter turns direct, right on the progressed Moon and North Node. This is a positive for Israel as a nation. Progressed Mars and Midheaven will also be tightly conjunct, suggesting strength and war. Transiting Mars contacts the natal Jupiter. This looks to be a ‘victory’ of some kind.

For me, there are NO winners in this conflict - just another layer of grief and vengeance piled on top of all the previous ones. However this is a fascinating look at how mundane astrology works and I couldn’t resist sharing it as an intellectual, astrological assessment of current events.

Let’s cross our fingers and hope that diplomacy and peace can prevail.