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The Civil War "In the heavens phenomena take form; on earth shapes take form. In this way change and transformation become manifest." - from the Wilhelm/Baynes I Ching The Climactic Appearances of Absolute Strength The concentration of all nine of the Planets within the Spring and Summer Zodiac signs is a rare event, and commonly occurs but once or twice each century. This 'father of the symbols' is titled 'Absolute Strength'. Its pictogram is an unvarying field of firm lines, indicative of the will to power, unremitting strength, and a unified authority that brooks no challenge. In the twentieth century, 'Absolute Strength' appeared in the midst of the Second World War; in the nineteenth century, this gathering of all of the Planets within the light occurs on the following dates: from 4-18-1861 until 8-26-1861 from 7- 6-1862 until 8-26-1862 in the spring/summers of 1880 thru 1885 The years 1861 and 1862 are crucial in the political formation of the western hemisphere. Had the Confederacy firmly established itself, the European invasion of Mexico (which also began in this time frame) might well have succeeded in creating a foreign, royal dynasty under Maximilian of France. After the victory of the Union however, all European troops withdrew from Mexico at the 'request' of the US government, and the western hemisphere remained a province of the victorious United States. The poli- tical schisms and battles of the early 1860's were indeed a test of will- power and endurance; a quest to find out which nation among rivals posses- sed the 'mandate of heaven' to rule over the western half of the globe. The Civil War Begins: First bloodshed ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ becomes: ____________ 4-18-1861, (44+01 = 01+01) ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____ ____ ____________ Mercury enters Aries Great Confrontation Absolute Strength April of 1861 is the turning point between war and peace in the United States. On the 12th, after previously fending off a Union supply ship, Fort Sumter is bombarded in Charleston Harbor. Though rebel ministers continue to strive for a peaceful separation, Lincoln refuses to meet with them. On the 17th, Virginia, the capitol state of the Confederacy, seceeds from the Union. On April 18th, 1861, the first battalions of the called up 75,000 volunteers arrive in Washington DC. That same day, volunteers pas- sing through Baltimore are attacked by rioters, and the first blood of the war between the states is spilled. On this date, April 18, Mercury crosses over into Aries, creating the novagram of 'Absolute Strength', last seen in 1716. As the internal initiator, Mercury, conjuncts the equinox, the last broken line of the novagram becomes firm; weakness and hesitation disappear, actions accelerate, and opinions and decisions become hardened and unyield- ing. The passage of Mercury into Aries is described by the bottom line of hexagram # 44, 'Confrontation'. Wilhelm/Baynes translates this line as: "It must be checked with a brake of bronze. (44-1) Perseverance brings good fortune. If one lets it take its course; one experiences misfortune. Even a lean pig has it in him to rage around." What is it that 'must be checked'? Both sides are determined to put a stop to something. Southern sympathizers are determined to stop Federal troops from reinforcing Washington, and to stop the Federal government from interfering with the rights of sovereign states. Unionists, on the other hand, are determined to halt the spread of rebellion and to thus preserve the one United States, while abolitionists are determined to wipe out the practice of slavery. As the symbol of 'Great Confrontation' becomes 'Absolute Strength', the Federal army begins to gather in Washington in preparation for an attack on the secessionists. The Civil War has begun. Also on this date, April 18, 1861, President Lincoln declares all ports of rebellious states to be under a Federal blockade. Events: first blood shed by rioters first troops arrive in Washington secession of Virginia declaration of blockade First Union Victory, Outer Banks, NC: ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ 8-26-1861, (01+01 = 13+01) ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ becomes ____ ____ Venus enters Libra ____________ ____________ Absolute Strength Firm Fellowship The early months of the Civil War were a series of unmitigated disasters for Union forces. The thorough rout of Federal troops at the battle of First Manassas was an international embarrassment, and began the revolving door of Union commanders of the Army of the Potomac which continued until the ap- pointment of US Grant in 1864. Throughout this first reign of 'Absolute Strength' Confederate fortunes rose, and the war grew more unpopular in the North. Lincoln's government was fast approaching a crisis that only victory could deflect. On August 26, 1861, combined Union naval and army forces embarked for an attack on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. On this same date, the passage of Venus into Libra ended the reign of 'Absolute Strength' in 1861. Three days later, Fort Hatteras fell to Union bombardment and as- sault, and the entire Outer Banks rejoined the Union. This first Union vic- tory began the strategy of conquering Southern ports, rivers, and coastlines, and provided the news story of success that the North so desperately needed. This maritime strategy isolated the South from the trade and fellowship of the international community, and forced the numerically inferior Southern forces to fight upon an endlessly growing number of fronts. An unbreakable naval blockade strengthened the Union position in the eyes of the world, and left the potential allies of the Confederacy no recourse short of war with the United States. In The Taoist I Ching, Thomas Cleary translates the second place- "Seeing the dragon in the field: 01-2 It is beneficial to see a great person" The lines of the first hexagram describe the motions of a dragon- from its position in hiding in the bottom place, through its active intervention in affairs, until its fall in the topmost line. The second place, that of Venus, describes the awakening of the celestial dragon. The North, with its superior industry, manpower, and navy, is here finally coming to realize the magnitude of the war between the states. The Union arouses itself to greater effort, and begins to employ its numerous advantages. The dragon now appearing in the field of battle is the United States Navy. The Confed- eracy cannot match it, and other nations, regardless of their own sympathies, will not challenge it. Battle of Shiloh and Abandonment of Peninsular Campaign ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ becomes ____________ 7-6-1862, (09+44 = 01+01) ____ ____ ____________ Mars enters Aries ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ Confronting Restraint Absolute Strength On July 6th, 1862, the movement of Mars created the novagram 'Absolute Strength' for the second and last time in the mid 1800's. On this same date, Confederate forces surprise Grant's army at the battle of Shiloh- the largest and bloodiest battle in the Mississippi valley. Union forces under Grant and Sherman had made great progress in capturing rebel forts and rivers, and with the help of superior numbers of federal ships, gunboats, and ironclads were approaching the strategic objective of cutting the Confederacy in two along the Mississippi River. The battle of Shiloh was the South's last and best attempt to prevent total Federal control of the river. The assault failed, and both Grant and Sherman gathered the laurels that would eventually bring them command of the Union war effort. On the main war front, July of 1862 marks the end of the Peninsular campaign. After the disgrace of First Manassas, Lincoln appointed George Mc Clellan to command the main Federal forces. Mc Clellan's plan to land by sea on the Virginia peninsula and seize Richmond in a lightning thrust was excellent, but his procrastination in executing the march led Lincoln to remove him from overall command in July, and to abandon the entire cam- paign. At one point in May, Southern forces assumed a defensive line a scant three miles from Richmond, but still Mc Clellan would not initiate the final assault. Robert E. Lee assumed command of the Confederate forces in the East and leaving the door to the Southern Capitol open, sent Stonewall Jackson into the Union rear to Manassas Junction. Not until the final campaign of the war would Northern forces come so close to Richmond once again. This final appearance of 'Absolute Strength' was the making of the great Generals on both sides. Beneath its reign, Lee, Grant, and Sherman all rose to prominence. With the abandonment of the penninsular approach to the Southern Capitol, all hope of a quick war began to fade. The entry of Mars into the light of Aries in July of 1862 repeated the augury of the bottom place of the hex of 'Confrontation'. But since Mars, and not Mercury, produced the figure of 'Absolute Strength', we must also consult the fourth place of hex number 9, 'The Taming Power of the Small': "It must be checked with a brake of bronze. (44-1) Perseverance brings good fortune. If one lets it take its course; one experiences misfortune. Even a lean pig has it in him to rage around." From the Confederate point of view, the enemy drives on Richmond and along the Mississippi River must be halted if the South is to survive. Beneath the aegis of these changing lines, the rebels succeed, atleast temporarily, in halting the Union advances. From the Federal perspective, it the entire Secession which must be checked. Their failure to push forward resolutely in the Summer of 1862 sentenced the nations to years of further warfare. "If you are sincere, blood vanishes (09-4) and fear gives way. No blame." This augury advises bold counsel. Overcoming all fears, the Confederate forces in the West join forces and attack at Shiloh. The Federals, on the other hand, do not throw themselves at the rebel positions outside of Richmond. In the desperate battles on the peninsula and along the Mississippi, there occurred numerous feats of heroism. While one can indeed find blame among various military commanders- Mc Clellan for procras- tination, Grant and Sherman for lack of vigilance, and Lee for failure to follow up on victory, no fault can be placed at the feet of the common soldier. The sincerity of both sides was tested in July of 1862, and the determination to win was not found wanting. Seizure of Manassas Junction ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ 8-26-1862, (01+01 = 14+13) ____________ ____________ ____________ becomes ____ ____ Jupiter enters Libra ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ Absolute Strength Fraternal Accumulation The movement of Jupiter produces two oracles, that of the fifth place in the lower hexagram of the visible planets, and that of the second place in the upper hexagram of the planets beyond the orbit of Earth. According to Wilhelm/Baynes: "Dragon appearing in the field. (01-2) It furthers one to see the great man." "Flying dragon in the heavens. (01-5) It furthers one to see the great man." On August 28th, 1862, the entry of Jupiter into Libra ended the final reign of 'Absolute Strength' in the Civil War. On this same date, rebel General Stonewall Jackson slipped out of the Shenandoah Valley and seized the main storage depot and Federal rail center at Manassas Junction. This largest capture of Union stores in the course of the war provided a bounty too great for the confederates to assimilate. The vast majority of foods and munitions had to be burnt. More importantly, the presence of a large rebel army in the Union rear brought about the battle of Second Manassas, which was a resounding Southern victory. Once more, superior Union forces had been routed, and the late date signalled that this would be the final, Northern attempt on Richmond in 1862. After the battle, Lincoln had seen enough of Mc Clellan's successor, General Pope. Pope was relieved of command, and the next Northern General to command the Army of the Potomac, Halleck, was promoted. The 'flying dragon' who 'appeared in the field' on August 28 was obviously Stonewall Jackson. While Robert E. Lee's superior tactics blunted the advance of the Army of the Potomac, Jackson proved once again that he was the offen- sive genius of the war. No one can question Lee's continuous string of vic- tories as the supreme confederate commander. But was the defensive strategy appropriate for the fledgeling Confederacy? As time passed, the naval block- ade continued to tighten, and the North continued to arm more and more men. Both oracles pronounce that "It furthers one to see the great man." Did Jefferson Davis truly 'see' the abilities of Stonewall Jackson? Had Jackson been in command of the Army of Northern Virginia in 1862, would he have advanced on Washington DC? Neptune and the Dismemberment of the Western Hemisphere: Neptune's transits of the vernal equinox (the changing of yin and yang), in 1861 and 1862 occur on dates that are coincident with momentuous events which rend the political fabric of the western hemisphere. In this time frame the Monroe Doctrine is cast aside by invading empires and control of the new world is once more up for grabs. As Neptune first crosses over into the light of Aries, southern sympathizers begin a two day continuous bombard- ment of Fort Sumter in the harbor of Charlestown, South Carolina, thus divid- ing the Union, and beginning the Civil War. A half year later, as Neptune reverses into the dark half of the Zodiac, European powers begin joint pre- parations for the invasion of Mexico. But when Neptune crosses back into Aries for its final change of the century, the treaty of La Soledad ends the Spanish and British miltary invasion of Mexico, and lays the imperialistic ambitions of the French monarchy clearly on the international table. Al- though 1861 and 1862 also saw the temporary unification of Italy and contin- uing resistance to European imperialism in the far east, these events cannot compare in importance with the potential destruction of the United States of America, and the subsequent reassertion of European colonial imperialism in the western hemisphere. The last time Neptune had crossed the boundary be- tween light and dark was in the midst of the American Revolution, in 1779. _________ _________ _________ _________ ___ ___ _________ ___ ___ _________ Neptune _________ _________ _________ _________ 4-13-1861 10-2-1861 2-17-1862 On the 12th of April, 1861, secessionists began the bombardment of Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. On the 13th of April, 1861, Neptune entered the light half of the universe for the first time since the American Revolutionary War. On the 14th of April, 1861, Federal General Anderson surrendered Fort Sumter, providing the infant Confederacy with its first military victory. Former president Buchannan had vowed to defend the fort, and its capture was a slap in the face of the Union government. With this agressive act, the hope for a peaceful separation was all but extinguished. The greatest power of the hemisphere was now at war with itself. By attacking the fort, the Southern states proved that they were 'unyielding' and 'posses- sive'. By refusing to evacuate, the Union proved the same. ____________ ____________ ____ ____ ____________ Neptune enters Aries ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ 4-13-1861, (13+14 = 13+01) ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ attack on Fort Sumter ____ ____ ____ ____ ____________ ____________ Possessive Unyielding Fellowship Fellowship Neptune's transit of the vernal equinox which occurred during the bombardment of Fort Sumter is depicted in the Wilhelm/Baynes description of the fifth line of hex 14: "He whose truth is accessible, yet dignified, (14-5) Has good fortune." No blood was shed by the attack on Fort Sumter. Some of the Southern states, notably Virginia, had not yet left the Union. The situation was indeed a matter of affronted dignity. The Union had publicly declared that it would hold the installation. South Carolina was in the embarassing position of finding an island in the middle of its most prominent harbor held by a foreign power. The Union's attempt to hold Fort Sumter convinced hesitant states to join the rebellion. Seen in this light, the explanation of this line becomes clear: "The situation is very favorable. People are being won not by coercion but by unaffected sincerity, so that they are at- tached to us in sincerity and truth. However, benevolence alone is not sufficient at the time of Possession in Great Measure. Insolence must be kept in bounds by dignity; then good fortune is assured." Leggee also implies that sincerity is not sufficient in this situation- "Line 5 symbolizes the ruler. Mild sincerity is good in him, and affects his ministers and others. But a ruler must not be without an awe-inspiring majesty." The Union attempt to hold the fort was clearly a slap in the face of the dignity and majesty of the newly sovereign state of South Carolina. Neptune remained in the light half of the zodiac until October 2, 1861. As it slid backwards into the darkness, the French government persuaded both Spain and England to join with them in a combined invasion of Mexico. Even though Russia declined to participate, preparations began in earnest. The United States learned of this joint venture in October, but in spite of the Monroe Doctrine, the embattled Union was in no position to physically resist the encroachment of the European powers. In November, the seizure of Confederate ministers off of the British ship Trent in international waters further strained the relations between the United States and Great Britain. A British ultimatum demanded the return of Mason and Slidell, and as the new year dawned, Lincoln's government complied. Just weeks later, European troops invaded North America. The 'stagnation' of relations between North and South precluded any American resistance. ____________ ____________ ____________ ____ ____ Neptune enters Pisces ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ 10-2-1861, (12+01 = 12+14) ____________ ____________ ____ ____ ____ ____ France, England, & Spain ____ ____ ____ ____ agree to invade Mexico ____ ____ ____ ____ Unyielding Possessive Stagnation Stagnation The retrograd motion of Neptune into Pisces which occurred during the secret negotiations of the European powers is illustrated by the fifth and ruling line of the first hexagram. According to Wilhelm/Baynes: "Flying dragon in the heavens. (01-5) It furthers one to see the great man." This line portrays the superior man at the height of his activities and accomplishments. The agreement to invade Mexico was a master stroke of French diplomacy. The rising tide of French power would now expand into the new world, aided by England and Spain. In this context, the admoni- tion to "...see the great man" is ominous. Had the ministers of Spain and Great Britain seen the real intentions of Maximillian- to recreate a monarchial empire of France in the new world, they may well have declined the invitation to participate in the invasion. This line of the flying dragon is an augury not only of greatness and of heavenly character, but of greedy 'possessiveness' and of the attempt at greatness as well. Leggee puts it best when he says of line 5 "-the great man rouses himself to his work." On February 17th, 1862, the same date on which Neptune conclusively re-enters the light half of the Zodiac, the warring European nations sign the treaty of La Soledad with Juarez of Mexico. Promising to repay both debts and war reparations, Mexico was to be spared further military incur- sions. Spain and Britain are satisfied, but France, now openly desiring an empire, renigs upon the terms of the treaty, lands additional troops, and continues the attack. Disgusted at aiding the now naked ambitions of Maximillian III, Spain and England withdraw their troops from Mexican soil. The French invasion continues however, until after the end of the Civil War, when the newly reunited states, possessing the largest army on the globe, reasserts the Monroe Doctrine and demands the withdrawal of all foreign forces from the western hemisphere. After the treaty of La Soledad, the French empire is free to expand without the interference of other European nations. Had the Confederacy been victorious, the western hemisphere might have become a battleground for contending empires. Only France did not have the patience to await the outcome of the Civil War. Had France more directly supported the beleaguered Confederacy, the Civil War might have had a differ- ent ending. ____________ ____________ ____ ____ ____________ Neptune enters Aries ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ 2-17-1862, (20+50 = 20+44) ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ Treaty of La Soledad ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ The Tower The Tower Embroiled Confronted The advance of Neptune into Aries is revealed by the Leggee translation of the fifth place of hex number 50, 'The Cauldron': "The fifth six, divided, shows the caldron with yellow ears and rings of metal in them. There will be advantage through being firm and correct." (50-5) Both Leggee and Wilhelm/Baynes proclaim that this line describes the modesty and approachability of a leader. Such an attitude furthers the designs of the man who displays them. The Wilhelm/Baynes description claims that this requires "...constant self-abnegation". At the signing of the Treaty of La Soledad, such a biography clearly defines the leader of the beleaguered Mexicans- Benito Juarez. His willingness to sit down with his oppressors and admit his imperiled situation indeed furthered his position; instead of three agressors, he would henceforth face but one. The inability of France to remain 'firm and correct' to its word cost their empire the support of its European allies. The Decisive Role of Saturn: As Spring passed into the Summer of 1863, the Planets once more crossed into the light half of the zodiac. Jupiter, however, tarried in darkness, and the novagram of 'Absolute Strength' did not reappear. On July 11, 1863, Saturn slipped back over into Libra, joining the ruler of the Planets in the realm of darkness. The events of July, 1863 became the pivotal fulcrum of the war between the states in military terms. The Battle of Gettysburg, the Capture of Vicksburg, The Escape of the Army of Northern Virginia ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____ ____ ____________ ____ ____ Saturn ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ Unexpected Power Fraternal Accumulation Unexpected Power 4-6-1863 4-23-1863 7-11-1863 34+25 14+13 34+25 Outgunned and outmanned, the Confederacy had no hope of keeping pace with the industrial growth of the North. Starved by the blockade, it became apparent to all in the third year of the war that even the superior general- ship of Robert E. Lee would not be enough to save the South. Stonewall Jackson was dead, and the increasing demands for manpower could no longer be met. Lee decided to gamble all on a daring attack into the heart of the Union. The entry of Saturn into the light of late April, 1863, is portrayed by the top place of 'The Power of the Great', and by the third place of 'The Unexpected'. According to Wilhelm/Baynes: "A goat butts against a hedge. (34-6) It cannot go backward, it cannot go forward. Nothing serves to further. If one notes the difficulty, this brings good fortune." "Undeserved misfortune. (25-3) The cow that was tethered by someone Is the wanderer's gain, the citizen's loss." The image of a goat trapped in a hedge is easily interpreted as the plight of the Army of Northern Virginia. It cannot force its way through the more numerous Union forces to the North, and it cannot retreat to the South without losing its capitol city, Richmond. To all appearances, the Confederate forces were 'hedged and tethered'. But just like the image of the disappearing cow, the Southern soldiers slip into the Shenandoah valley, and advance North at full speed, into the heart of the Union. Before the Northern generals realized Lee was gone, the Army of Northern Virginia was marching deep into Pennsylvania. In the bloodiest battle ever to occur in the western hemisphere, the main combatants collided at Gettysburg. Often times it is difficult to pinpoint a critical moment in the broad flow of time. In the war between the states, the battle of Gettys- burg was the fulcrum. Within the battle itself, the decision to continue the assault on the third day was the fatal mistake. In mid-afternoon, after two and a half days of continuous fighting, Lee committed the mortal blunder of the war. He commanded George Pickett to charge the ridgetop entrenchments of the Pennsylvania line in a frontal assault of twenty thousand men. The flower of the Confederacy streamed across the valley with banners waving in the Sun, straight into the massed firepower of grapeshot and minieball. The brave rebels never made it to the top of the ridge. Assuming an ascendant of 12 scorpio (eight hours after sunrise), the hourly pattern of planets for the moment of Picketts charge was: Pluto 12 Taurus Saturn 30 Virgo the Sun 11 Cancer Neptune 06 Aries Jupiter 18 Libra Venus 26 Leo Uranus 22 Gemini Mars 11 Leo Mercury 21 Gemini ____ ____ ____________ Pluto rising ____ ____ ____ ____ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ 01+34 = 01+14 ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ Powerful Acquiring Strength Strength Once again, the oracle is the topmost place of hexagram 34- 'The Power of the Great': "A goat butts against a hedge. (34-6) It cannot go backward, it cannot go forward. Nothing serves to further. If one notes the difficulty, this brings good fortune." Once again, the 'goat' is the Army of Northern Virginia. For days it has thrown itself against the Union lines, and though thousands have been slaughtered on both sides, the Federals would not budge. Out of touch with his cavalry wing since before the battle began, Lee is unsure of the full nature of his enemies' dispositions. In effect, the commander has been blinded by the non-appearance of Jeb Stuarts' cavalry. He does not know if the enemy is behind, as well as in front of him, and thus he 'cannot go backward.' As Pluto rises above the horizon to the East, the butternut line surges forward to its death. In a few scant hours, the valiant Army of Northern Virginia is ruined, never to take the offensive again. After three days of horrendous losses on both sides, and with the Union troops still in command of Cemetery Ridge, General Lee chose to abandon the campaign and withdraw back to Virginia. On this same day, July 4th, the last major bastion of the Confederacy on the Mississippi River, Vicksburg, surrendered to General US Grant. Port Hudson, Mississippi surrendered the day before Saturn re-entered the darkness, giving the North total mastery of the Mississippi River. This double blow was the death- knell of the Confederacy. Never again would the Army of Northern Virginia threaten Northern cities. Though Lee's brilliant strategy succeeded in the dismissal of another Northern commander, the final appointment, that of Grant to the command of the Army of the Potomac, was yet to come. On the exact date of Saturn's entry into the darkness, the defeated Army of Virginia arrived back at the Potomac River, only to find the fords too swollen with Summer rain to allow them passage. The weary southerners dug trenches and awaited the assault of the victorious Army of the Potomac. The attack never came. The re-entry of Saturn into the dark half of the Zodiac is ascertained by reading the top place of 'Possession in Great Measure', and the third place of 'Fellowship with Men'. According to Wilhelm/Baynes: "He is blessed by heaven. (14-6) Good fortune. Nothing that does not further." "He hides weapons in the thicket; (13-3) He climbs the high hill in front of it. For three years he does not rise up." Who is it that is blessed by heaven? Lee is blessed on this date in that he is not attacked and destroyed. Grant is blessed in that the fall of Vicksburg and Port Moresby has fatally wounded the Confederacy, and propelled him into power. The Union is blessed by the retreat of an invading, enemy army. The seemingly endless war has swung decisively in favor of the North. Perhaps the 'blessing of heaven' is a missed opportunity! Would a battle on this date have ended the war between the states? The third place of 'Fellow- ship' implies ambush and deception. With the flower of Southern manhood dead on the fields of Gettysburg, the Confederacy can no longer stand toe to toe with the Union armies. The southerners are eventually forced to withdraw in- to trenchworks around Richmond and Petersburg. With Grant in command of the Army of the Potomac, confederate offensive operations are no longer possible. Lincoln now saw that the appointment of General Meade, the hero of Gettysburg, was only a stop-gap measure. The failure of Meade to pursue and attack Lee after the victory was the direct cause of the ascendancy of Grant. Would a more aggressive general have pursued and attacked the Army of Northern Virginia, trapped against the Potomac River, on July 11th, 1863? Lincoln thought so. Meade's diary clearly shows that on this date he intended to attack. Lincoln's cable to Meade on this date urged a Federal attack. Once again, subordinates paid the price for Union timidity. The war dragged on for two more years. The events of early July, 1863: 7-04: surrender of Vicksburg, Lee withdraws from Gettysburg 7-08: Port Hudson, last southern stronghold on the Mississippi, surrenders * 7-11: Army of Northern Virginia escapes acrss the swollen Potomac River as Meade prepares to attack. 7-13: resentment of the draft bursts into four days of riots in New York City. Federal troops intervene. Appomatox Courthouse: 'Unexpected Power' ____________ ____________ ____________ Unexpected Power ____ ____ ____ ____ Lee surrenders, 04-09-1865 ____________ ____________ 34+25 ____________ ____________ Once Ullysses Grant began his offensive, he never stopped. The nature of warfare changed- regardless of losses, he attacked again and again, trust- ing in his superior numbers to wear down the enemy. Robert E. Lee never had enough time to develop the stratagems that would reverse the Federal flood. This unremitting application of Union might was an innovation, an unexpected and deadly development on the field of battle. Forced back into the maze of trenches encompassing Richmond, the Southerners began to starve. With no hope in sight, Lee broke out of the ring, running for the hills to the West. The bluecoat response was immediate- hounding him relentlessly, until Lee decided to spare the lives of his men. In a farmhouse at Appomattox Court- house, the two antagonists met to discuss terms of surrender. Assuming an ascendant of 05 cancer (four and a half hours after sunrise), the hourly patterns produce an oracle of Mars: Pluto 12 Taurus Saturn 28 Libra the Sun 20 Aries Neptune 08 Aries Jupiter 29 Sagit Venus 25 Taurus Uranus 26 Gemini Mars 05 Cancer Mercury 09 Taurus ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____________ Mars rising ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ Lasting Unexpected Peace Power "No plain not followed by a slope. (11-3) No going not followed by a return. He who remains persevering in danger Is without blame. Do not complain about this truth; Enjoy the good fortune you still possess." The first line of the oracle implies a change for the worse. The easy movement across the plains has ended; now one must take to the hills. The 'going' betokens secession; 'return' is the return to the fold of union. Robert E. Lee could have continued the fight and avoided the odious distaste of surrender, but to what purpose? Nothing would be acheived but the death of more men. And yet all was not for the worse. Beneath the symbols of 'Lasting Peace' and 'Unexpected Power', The Southern soldiers were allowed to keep their arms and their horses and to return immediately to their homes. The Southern states were accepted back into the political structure without penalty, and became, in the fullness of time, equal part- ners in the United States of America. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: President Lincoln was assassinated during the reign of the final nova- gram of the Civil War, 'Unexpected Strength'. That the dying Confederacy, which had just witnessed the fall of Richmond and the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, could still inspire such drastic and desperate deeds came as a shock to the nation. Lincoln himself however, had vividly dreamed of his death by assassination some days before the fatal event. An examina- tion of the hourly patterns of the murder reveals greater detail: Pluto: 12 Taurus Saturn: 27 Libra the Sun: 25 Aries Neptune: 09 Aries Jupiter: 29 Sagit Venus: 26 Taurus Uranus: 26 Gemini Mars: 08 Cancer Mercury: 14 Taurus ____________ ____ ____ Pluto setting ____ ____ ____ ____ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____ ____ ____ ____ 38+30 = 64+55 ____________ ____________ Descendant = 13 Taurus ____ ____ ____ ____ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____ ____ Mercury setting Fiery Opposition Decisive Transition The hourly pattern of the murder (above) formed at about eight in the evening, while the Lincolns set off for the theater, and the conspirators huddled together one last time. Bold Mercury and Fatal Pluto sank beneath the horizon to the West, transforming the symbol of 'Fiery Opposition' into the novagram of 'Decisive Transition'. It was beneath the aegis of this new pattern, just after 10 PM, that Lincoln was shot. Here the rashness of the first planet is joined to the finality of the last, yielding grim re- sults. The changing figure, 'Fiery Opposition', is a fair description of the Civil War itself, the mood of the Northern people towards the ideas of reconciliation and reconstruction, and the inability of John Wilkes Booth to accept the looming death of the Confederacy. The new novagram, 'Decisive Transition', could also be entitled 'Abundant Chaos'. Chaos surely reigned supreme in Fords' Theater that evening, and in the capitol at large. With Lincoln dead, the generosity of the victors was sorely tested. Would the presidents policy of appeasement be carried on? As history records, Andrew Johnson was not impeached; by a single vote the nation chose healing instead of retribution. This span of time from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln to the impeachment vote was 'decisive', 'transitional', and 'chaotic'. Against the 'fiery opposition' of abolitionists, seditionists, and staunch unionists, the moderate course prevailed. It was a close-run thing. The oracles of the setting of Mercury and Pluto describe the simultan- eous event of the assassination of Lincoln. Wilhelm/Baynes translates the changing nature of the bottom line: "Remorse disappears. 38-1 If you lose your horse, do not run after it; It will come back of its own accord. When you see evil people, Guard yourself against mistakes." For defeated Southerners, the murder of Lincoln was a cathartic event. In their eyes, Lincoln was the cause of the war, and some atleast, felt no remorse over his death. For Booth, the act was not murder, but an act of war; his self-loathing of never having fought for his beloved Dixie was finally expunged. While for many remorse began with Lincolns murder, for others it did indeed disappear. That Lincoln refused to guard himself sufficiently against 'evil people', inspite of the repeated protestations of his associates, is well known. No guards accompanied the president to theater that evening. This oracle is a clear warning against evil events. The 'horse' symbolizes something desired but lost. On the eve of total victory, Lincoln finally received the plaudits of a grateful nation. Neither Grant nor Lincoln wanted to appear in public that evening, but at the behest of Mrs. Lincoln, both did so. Was the 'horse' the popularity and acclaim of imminenet victory? Was Mary Todd Lincoln attempting to share in the vic- tory of Ullyses S. Grant? With the fall of Richmond and the surrender of Robert E. Lee, both Grant and Lincoln were more popular than at any prior time. Had Lincoln shunned the steed of success, he would have lived. There is an easier, more obvious explanation of the escaped horse. Booths conspirators rode rented horse on the night of the assassinations. The only man to tail Booth out of the capitol was the liveryman chasing his stolen horse. Minutes behind the assassins, he turned back at the Navy Yard Bridge when informed that he would not be allowed to re-cross. Thus John Fletcher lost his horse, but did 'not run after it.' He was unaware that the thieves were murderers. Had he continued on in pursuit of them instead of going directly to the police, John Wilkes Booth may well have escaped justice. It was only by following the leads of John Fletcher and other liverymen that Booth was cornered and gunned down in a Virginia barn. Mercury and Pluto are the alpha and the omega of the planetary system. Their conjunction symbolizes the joining together of conception with com- pletion- a new beginning and a final ending all in one. Such were the closing days of the Civil War. Slavery, sedition, and war ended; peace, reconstruction, and reunification began. Perhaps it is better that Lincoln died when he did. Would his leadership ever have been acceptable to the Southern states? The descent of Pluto transformed the upper hex of 'Fire' into the sym- bol of 'Decision'. Wilhelm/Baynes records the oracle of the top place: "The king uses him to march forth and chastise. 30-6 Then it is best to kill the leaders And take captive the followers. No blame." At first glance the oracle of Pluto appears to be a eulogy of the Great Liberator, Abraham Lincoln. It was Licoln who chastised the slave-holders and crushed the leaders of the Confederacy. Legge sees great compassion in this line- "Achieving admirable (merit), he breaks (only) the chiefs (of the rebels). Where his prisoners were not their associates, he does not punish." It was Lincoln who urged mercy on the Southern people. But this is the oracle of the assassination; this line describes John Wilkes Booth as well. On three prior occasions, Booth was ready to carry out his original plan. The famous actor intended to capture both Lincoln and Seward, smuggle them to Richmond, and force the Union to exchange rebel prisoners of war for their safe return. But after the fall of Richmond, Booth grew desperate, and decided to 'kill the leaders' instead. This augury is eerily on the mark. The oracle of Pluto is obviously a statement about the harshest of punitive measures- revenge. The theme of Mercury and Pluto is also evident in the seasonal birth novagram of John Wilkes Booth. The thespian turned assassin was born within twenty-four hours of a transformation of Mercury, on August 26, 1838: ____________ ____________ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ 43+42 = 28+42 ____ ____ ____ ____ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____ ____ Mercury enters Libra Increasing Increasing Perseverance Stress In the resulting figure of 'Increasing Stress', both Mercury and Pluto are isolated in the midst of Planets of oppossing natures. As swiftest of the Planets, Mercury often acts as a 'trigger' of events; its aspect or passage acts to release and initiate. John Wilkes Booth was the trigger of all of the frustrations of defeat. Zeal, the Symbol of Command: In the course of the Civil War, approximately 1,000 men rose to the rank of general in the CS Army or US Army. Very few of these however, became actual army commanders- in all, less than 50. When compiling the hexagrams beneath which the army commanders were born, one symbol stands out- the hexagram of the war-god Mars in active isolation: 'Zeal'. The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia had but two commanders, and both of these men were born beneath the configuration of 'Zeal'. The symbol of 'Zeal' occurs repeatedly throughout the Civil War, reigning on the date of the Emancipation Proclamation by Lincoln after the battle of Gettysburg. ____ ____ ____ ____ ____________ Zeal ____ ____ (the isolation of Mars in the spring or ____ ____ summer zodiac signs) ____ ____ Robert E. Lee CSA J. E. Johnston CSA N. P. Banks USA E. R. Canby USA George Meade USA William T. Sherman USA Presidential Birth Hexagrams as National Symbols: Lincoln Davis ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____________ ____ ____ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____ ____ ____________ Love (The Masses) Power In the above two hexagram symbols we find the two major issues of the Civil War. The configuration of Abraham Lincoln's birth, 'The Masses', is the issue of the love of all men versus the abominable practice of slavery. The figure of the birth of Jefferson Davis, 'Power', is the question of what are the limits to federal power, and what powers are the rights of individual states. Both of these hexagrams occur in the course of the Civil War, and the events of their reigns are crucial to the outcome. Once again, the birth symbols of great men match the times of their greatness. In the case of Jef- ferson Davis, his symbol dominates the Spring and Summers after the fateful Summer of 1863, when the all-firm figure of 'Absolute Strength' fails to re- appear. Lincolns symbol apprears but once, some three months after the cru- cial battle of Gettysburg, when Lincoln decides to hand Grant the command of all of the Union armies in the western theatres. The Hex of Power as the Symbol of the Civil War: ____ ____ Saturn in Autumn/Winter ____ ____ Jupiter in Autumn/Winter ____________ ____________ dates of occurrence: ____________ 04-06-1863 until 04-23-1863 ____________ 07-11-1863 until 08-10-1863 05-28-1864 until 08-27-1864 Power 03-21-1865 until 08-31-1865 It is interesting to note how the symbol 'Power', which flickers twice in the Summer of 1863, reigns for the entire Summer of 1864, and for the entire campaigning season, both Spring and Summer in 1865. During the gap between the two occurrences of 'Power' in 1863 (caused by the retrograde mo- tion of Saturn), the critical battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg occur. Much of the campaigning of 1864 occurs beneath the aegis of 'Power', and just days after its demise, Atlanta falls to Sherman. In the final year of the war, all of the concluding campaigns, including the fall of Petersburg, the fall of Richmond, and the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse take place be- neath the mantle of the hex of 'Power'. Lincoln's assassination likewise takes place beneath this final symbol of the war. In addition to President Jefferson Davis, army commanders on both sides were born beneath the hexagram of 'Power': Pierre Beauregard CSA Wade Hampton CSA William Rosecrans USA George Thomas USA J. T. Boyle USA The Theory of Complimentary Opposites: The birth hexagrams of the visible planets of Lincoln and Davis each found their compliment within the ranks of Civil War generals. In the case of Lincoln, the complimentary planetary formation is possessed by his final commander of all Union army forces, US Grant. After years of searching for the right man, Grant forces the war to conclusion. In the case of Jefferson Davis, the complimentary planetary formation is held by Stonewall Jackson. Jackson was clearly the greatest offensive general of the Confederacy. Many believe that if Jackson had not died prior to the battle of Gettysburg, the outcome of the war might have been different. For all of his genius against overwhelming odds, Robert E. Lee never invaded the northlands until the fate- ful Spring of 1863. The obvious question posed by the theory of compliment- ary opposites is this: Would the South have won the Civil War if Stonewall Jackson had been the commander of the Army of Northern Virginia? Love Fellowship Power The Tower ___ ___ _________ ___ ___ _________ ___ ___ _________ ___ ___ _________ ___ ___ _________ _________ ___ ___ ___ ___ _________ _________ ___ ___ _________ ___ ___ _________ ___ ___ ___ ___ _________ _________ ___ ___ Lincoln Grant Davis Jackson The Rare Appearance of the Unexpected: On February 19th, 1861 (March 4, 1861 by the modern calendar) Tzar Alexander II emancipated the Russian serfs by imperial decree. Peasants who prior to this time were possessions of the owners of the land, now found themselves to be free men, and owners of the land as well. That the greatest autocracy in the world should end 'slavery' before the democratic United States had done so was an unbearable state of affairs to northern abolition- ists. Alexander freed the serfs with one eye on the anarchists in his own empire, and the other upon the growing number of secessionist states across the world. On the exact date of the 'Great Ukase', Mercury crossed over into the light of Aries, creating the hex of 'The Unexpected'. 'The Unexpected' is one of the rarest planetary formations- occurring a scant three times in each of the last two centuries. The next occurrence of the Unexpected as a hexagram of the six visible planets would not take place until the autumn of 1917, in the heart of the 'October' revolution, and would spell the downfall of the Romanov dynasty. Emancipation of Russian Peasantry ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ 3-4-1861, 12 = 25 ____________ ____________ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ becomes ____________ Mercury enters Aries Inertia The Unexpected The Appearance of US Grant: Grant was born beneath the symbol of 'Friendship'. The hex of 'Friend- ship' occurs but once in the course of the Civil War, and during it's reign, Grant first rises to national prominence. Colonel Grant was promoted to Brigadier-General of Volunteers in late August of 1861. Once more, a great man arrives upon the scene beneath the symbol of his birth. Given command of a half-mutinous regiment, the future president advanced into and seized neutral Kentucky for the union. ____________ ____________ Birth of US Grant 13 ____________ ____________ Promotion to Brigadier-General ____ ____ ____________ Friendship Symbols of the Great Cavalry Commanders: Several generals of the Civil War became famous for their exploits as independent cavalry commanders. The movement of large, mounted forces required a special daring as their most effective use was often far behind enemy lines, cut off from the traditional line of supply. Such operations required great bravery and extreme risk. It is interesting to note that the most famous cavalry commanders of the war were born beneath one of two distinct patterns of the six visible planets: ____________ ____________ ____ ____ ____ ____ 35 = 64 ____________ ____________ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ becomes ____________ Venus enters the light ____ ____ ____ ____ Progress Transition birth of 'JEB' Stuart birth of Phil Sheridan ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ 44 = 01 ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____ ____ becomes ____________ Mercury enters the light Confrontation Strength birth of Nathaniel Forrest birth of John Henry Morgan Symbols of the Outer Planets During the Civil War: The patterns of the outer six Planets summarize the course of the War Between the States in six symbols. On the very day that the hexagram 'Accumulation' becomes 'Strength', the war begins. Just as in the Second World War, the symbols of 'Strength' and 'Confrontation' reign often in the first half of the conflict. As the contest continues, however, new figures appear- 'The Unexpected', and finally, as the armies become entrenched, 'Inertia'. Although the unseen triad of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto continue in the pattern of primal sky long after the war ends, the complete nine line symbol of 'Absolute Strength' does not reappear. Strength Confrontation The Caldron Confrontation _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ___ ___ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 4-4-1861 10-8-'61 10-02-'61 2-15-1862 Strength Brotherhood Unexpected Brotherhood _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ___ ___ _________ _________ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ _________ _________ _________ _________ 7-6-'62 7-26-'62 10-23-'62 4-23-'63 Unexpected Inertia Unexpected Inertia (postwar) _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ _________ ___ ___ _________ ___ ___ 7-11-'63 9-19-'63 5-28-'64 8-31-'65 Strength 2 appearances Confrontation 2 appearances The Caldron 1 appearance Brotherhood 2 appearances The Unexpected 3 appearances Inertia 1 appearance Neptune 3 transformations Saturn 3 transformations Jupiter 1 transformation Mars 4 transformations