“It’s a hard world for little
things…”
The Night of the Hunter (Laughton,
1955)
This all too prescient line formed a
repeating motif in Charles Laughton’s directorial masterpiece in 1955. Night of the Hunter was filmed in
glorious “Film Noir” black and white—a perfect fit for its grisly, Darwinian
message. The film reminds us in both subtle and starkly expressionist ways that
it’s “survival of the fittest” in this world, and it taunts our deep-rooted
American idealism about nurturing children in loving families—complete with the
proverbial white picket fences, Mom in the kitchen baking apple pies.
Indeed, there is a loving mother figure in the film (Miss Cooper, portrayed by
Lillian Gish) who rescues children from that dog-eat-dog world and fosters
them—even gives them apples (the film
plays up the symbolism) as Christmas presents. But Miss Cooper captures the
moral core of the story best when, looking out her window she witnesses an owl
swoop down and snatch a young rabbit in its claws, she intones that “It’s a
hard world for little things.”
Yes, the Darwinian (also Plutonian)
truism that Nature is “red in tooth-and-claw” has no special regard for the
young and helpless—it’s all about the predator
stalking its prey. Set in the
hard-scrabble Depression era, Laughton’s rural American narrative is rife with
messes created by the “adults”—the people and institutions whose shortcomings deliver
a steady flow of children to Miss Cooper’s doorstep.
This story came to mind this past
week when the teens who survived the February 14th Stoneman
Douglas high school shooting in Parkland, Florida resolved to not wait for the adults—i.e., their elected officials—to pass common sense solutions
to gun violence that would help them feel safe
in their own school. They’re aware that this will never happen if the gun lobby
continues driving our politics. These kids resolved instead to take their case
to the public at large, and to “speak truth to power,” as only teenagers can.
In a short week, they and the
parents of murdered children have raised a nationwide outcry, calling politicians
out for accepting money from the NRA, and challenging them to get serious about
passing a saner set of gun laws—at the very
least laws that ban war-making
machines like the AR-15 rifle from personal use. The AR-15 is the high-powered
automatic rifle that was used to shoot up their school, and it seems to be the
weapon of choice for most mass murderers. People have been mowed down in other
schools, in churches, in nightclubs, in movie theaters—all with this same
weapon.
Early signs for the teens’
#NeverAgain movement are good, in terms of public sentiment, but not so good in
terms of actual legislation. Their CNN-sponsored
town hall meeting with Senator Marco Rubio
(R, Fl) was a study in prevarication, although CNN pointed out that Rubio at least showed up to face people’s
demands—Florida’s governor Rick Scott did not. The Florida legislature—the one
that you might think would support the Parkland survivors the most—voted
on Tuesday to not even consider a ban
on the AR-15.
Shooting survivors witnessed this
vote, noting that it took only “3 minutes” for so many to press the “No”
button. Instead, the legislators used
their session to “declare that porn is dangerous.” Stoneman-Douglas junior
Sheryl Acquaroli responded by saying, “If there is another mass shooting it’s
going to be their fault.”
Clearly, these kids are going to
need all the help they can get. To his credit, Trump hosted a group from
Parkland and Sandy Hook and listened to some dramatically emotional stories
from them in the White House on Wednesday, even fielding their ideas for new
action. Casting shade on that meeting was Trump’s record on gun control issues
to date: will he reverse
actions he’s taken to make buying a gun easier for the mentally ill as a
consequence?
So far, his solutions for the
problem of school shootings range between raising the age for purchasing
assault rifles and arming teachers. As a former educator myself, I can attest
that teachers don’t want to be armed guards; they want to teach. And they know that turning schools into an armed camp is not conducive to learning.
Again, the question goes back to the
nation’s children: why should their wellbeing
be sacrificed so the NRA can market more guns, more quickly?
Because of the nature of the AR-15, the
“next” attack will be yet another unfair
fight—a point that you would think would resonate with gun-toting sportsmen. In Las Vegas this past summer,
the shooter
stood several flights above the music festival crowd in his hotel room and shot
down at his victims like captive fish in a barrel.
In Parkland, the shooter
reportedly set off the alarm and started picking off students as they poured
into the hallway. It’s hard to say if these shooters are deluded enough to see
themselves as “warriors,” but there’s nothing honorable or warrior-worthy in
killing innocent, unarmed people—children—with
a high-powered rifle.
It’s tantamount to being at war within our own borders. Which kind of fits the reality here: the gun lobby
is, indeed, an over-glutted war machine that treats the rest of us like expendable materiel.
Their only solution to violence is to sell more guns. That’s like saying the
only solution to drug addiction is more drugs. How’s that working for us?
If honor is even an issue with the gun
lobby, there’s nothing honorable about buying Congress people, who then send
“thoughts and prayers” to shooting victims. Prayers without action are empty
and gutless, a way of washing one’s hands of the next despicable (and inevitable) tragedy, and I applaud the teens
at Stoneman-Douglas for saying so, out loud.
IMHO, this time the narrative is
getting off to a better start, focusing on the fact that innocent bystanders
are the shooter’s prey—especially
children. Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz
bragged on social media that he was going to be a “professional school shooter.”
Guns and anger, fueled by extremist thinking on a variety of fronts (racist,
anti-semitic, anti-immigrant) were his thing, apparently, and he was, in
retrospect, fully aware of whom he wanted to target.
In fact, Cruz reportedly even bragged
about killing animals. Maybe we have to have some compassion for a young man
who lost both parents very young, and perhaps never felt loved or empowered by
those who took up the slack, but we also need to protect ourselves from anyone with such violent impulses.
Which brings us to what seems to be the
heart of the issue, and a reason these mass shooters should perhaps be labeled terrorists: children are fair game for them, because by killing
children they create maximum horror, sending shock waves into a nation’s primal
sense of security.
Cruz’s chilling social
media posts display a young man who idealizes
violence and has little regard for human life—he even applauds other mass
shootings. We have to wonder: did anyone ever teach this young man that killing
does not make the man, that there’s no honor in killing for the sake of
killing, and that there’s certainly
no glory in killing children?
Cruz
has a history with Junior ROTC and air rifle shooting in school: we have to
wonder what he took from those experiences. Are we failing in a broader sense to
guide our young men in this society? This is
our collective responsibility, after all.
If we can’t protect and guide our
young, we are vulnerable indeed…this imperative pulses deeply in our human Moon-Pluto-driven
survival instinct. Not every individual
needs to procreate, naturally, but collectively,
every society must perpetuate itself into the next generation, or be doomed
to extinction, and that means that we have a stake in protecting all our children.
Clearly, this survival imperative
can be twisted for dark purposes—i.e., to “purify” the gene pool, to equate culture with a narrowly-defined genetic line, and not with a more
expansive/inclusive set of values and ideals,
and so on. Pluto’s darker side runs deep in these existential drives—and
not surprisingly, it often traffics in big money and big power, focused around weaponizing
these narrow survival fears. Even if its original mandate was something far
different, the NRA has evolved into a dark, fear-mongering marketing arm for
the gun industry. IMHO, we need to seriously question its power over us.
If it takes a band of determined
teenagers to wake us all up, so be it.
So, what can astrology tell us about
all this? As it happens, quite a lot. Let’s examine a triwheel for the shooting
(2:20 p.m. timing taken from the news), the U.S. Sibly radix chart and the
Sibly progressed chart. The progressed chart represents how our culture and
sensibilities have evolved over time from 1776, with the Sun and Moon
placements being especially critical. As for the transits on February 14th,
it seems that the “Big Guy,” Jupiter, played an even more outsized role than
usual, with his Scorpio co-ruler Mars a close second!
Triwheel
#1: (inner wheel) US Sibly Chart, July 4, 1776, 5:10 p.m. LMT, Philadelphia, PA; (middle wheel) US Sibly Chart, progressed for February 14, 2018, 12:00 a.m. GMT, Washington, D.C.; (outer
wheel) Parkland Shooting, February 14, 2018, 2:20 p.m. ST, Parkland, FL.
Parkland Sun-Mercury (Aquarius) conjoin
Sibly Moon and Progressed Sibly Mercury (Aquarius); Parkland Sun-Mercury
sextile Parkland Uranus (Aries)-Progressed Sibly Venus. We could
stretch the orbs a bit here to pull Sibly Chiron into the Aries
grouping, however we’ll have more to say about the Sibly 5th house Chiron
(wounds to America’s children) in a while. The theme of children and youth is
carried in Mercury’s strong involvement here, as well; with all this
happening conjunct our 3rd house national Moon, clearly, this event
resonated deeply with families and those in the education (3rd
house) field.
The sextiles to the Aries points (Uranus
and Progressed
Sibly Venus) impact that sensitive 5th house, suggesting an
opening for financial interests, in the wake of grave disruption to America’s
children. Indeed, the gun shows were buzzing
immediately after the Parkland attack, a phenomenon that we see repeated every
time one of these mass shootings occurs. It’s not hard to see why—the more
dollars their supporting gun manufacturers make in the wake of a disaster, the
better the NRA likes it. It’s not difficult to stoke the fears of diehard gun
enthusiasts (I’m being kind here) that the Big Bad Government is going to take
their guns away, and it’s definitely good for business.
Notice I stopped short of saying
that the NRA courts, or welcomes disasters: I don’t have the
facts to substantiate a claim like that, but disasters, attacks and crises can be incredibly profitable, so the temptation to court such things must be
real. It’s no accident that the dollars flow where they do and when
they do in response. Parkland Uranus and Progressed Sibly Venus are drawing
that connection here.
Interchart
T-Square: Parkland Mars (Sagittarius)
conjoins Sibly ASC and opposes Sibly DSC-Uranus (Gemini); this axis squares
Sibly Progressed Sun conjoined Parkland Neptune (Pisces). Again, if we
stretched the orbs a bit, this configuration would take in Sibly Mars (Gemini) as
well, but we’ll save that sensitive point for another important
discussion—there’s plenty to consider here already!
Any time Mars and Neptune
are in aspect, we have to suspect that actions (potentially violent, with Mars) based on delusions, addictions,
distorted facts and/or “conspiracy” thinking are involved. Such thinking often
taps into a “victimization” narrative, and nothing productive ever seems to
come from that. As it happens, Cruz’s noon chart features some connections to
this tense mutable configuration—especially a transit by Neptune to his natal Chiron
(available
birth data: September 24, 1998 in Margate, FL) that suggests he may have
been feeling not only intensely victimized recently, but also deluded into
thinking that the horror he was contemplating with the Parkland shooting would
somehow “redeem” him.
Was he planning to be a “martyr” (Neptune-Chiron)
to some illusory “cause” that day? We’ll probably never know, but we can also
see that Mars has only recently transited over his Sagittarius Pluto
(at 5°+)—an apt time
for a would-be “warrior” to arm himself for the “battles” playing out in his
mind. It shouldn’t escape us that Parkland Mars (outer wheel, Triwheel #1) also tightly conjoins the Sibly ASC (Sagittarius) and
opposes
Sibly Uranus (Gemini). Placed in the Sibly 6th house, this Uranus energizes our military forces. At the
Sibly
DSC, this placement is sensitive, falling within 12°+ of Sibly Mars (Gemini).
So, the Mars transit could be
characterized as a “call to arms:” in fact, transits to the Sibly horizon often
mean hostilities lie ahead (Saturn and Pluto stretched across
this horizon on 9/11/2001, for instance). As
we’re already seeing, the Parkland shooting has stirred up the wasp’s nest of
gun politics in a big way: will we see armed protests designed to counter the
#NeverAgain movement? Stay tuned for possible volatility as Mars transits
opposite Sibly Mars in early March.
Parkland Jupiter (Scorpio) makes
several aspects between these charts, and each aspect points to some important
facet of Jupiter’s outsized influence in Scorpio, a sign co-ruled here
by a volatile Sagittarius Mars and an ambitious, Capricorn Pluto.
Let’s break it down:
- Jupiter sextiles Sibly Neptune (Virgo) and
Parkland Pluto (Capricorn). Euphoria and a rush of high-minded idealism
often accompany a Jupiter-Neptune aspect—perhaps the aspect that’s encouraged the
Stoneman-Douglas teens to start their #NeverAgain movement rather than simply
feel victimized, but this nice sextile can also instigate a backlash to that
idealism: mass confusion, conspiracy thinking, deception, skepticism and (with
Scorpio involved) cynicism. The so-called “crisis
actors” claim circulating out there is an example of this.
Linking Scorpio and Virgo, this aspect may
also show that the “perfect has become the enemy of the good,” enabling the
passive resistance (Neptune) of legislators who claim tighter gun control measures
wouldn’t have stopped Cruz from carrying out his rampage.
The sextile of Parkland Jupiter to Parkland
Pluto (Capricorn) suggests an opening for powerful players to act in harsh,
Plutonian ways (Scorpio is co-ruled by Mars and Pluto): this unfortunately
supported Cruz’s deadly plans. The sheer ruthlessness
of the shooter’s act, the intensity of and the devastation created by the situation in
Parkland are all reflected here. Not coincidentally, Jupiter-Pluto combinations
evoke big (mega) finances, as well—gun industry profits tend to spike in the
aftermath of mass shootings. This tragedy is sorely testing the ethical (Jupiter)
limits of capitalism (Pluto), not to mention the characters of our legislators.
-
Interchart
Water Grand Trine: Jupiter trines
Parkland Chiron (Pisces), Sibly Mercury and the Sibly Progressed Jupiter/No.
Node midpoint (all in Cancer). This flowing, emotional circuit of
energy suggests that we’re at a turning point where the nagging, recurring
agony (Chiron) of continued mass shootings (especially of school
children) has broken the floodgates of public opinion (Sibly Mercury), unlike so
many other mass shootings that simply died out in the news after the funerals.
The
trine to our national Progressed Jupiter/No. Node midpoint
speaks to timely, idealistic joint ventures (the #NeverAgain movement?),
persuasion based on future visions for the nation, and perhaps a sense that
this is a moment of destiny.
- Jupiter inconjoins Parkland Uranus-Eris
(Aries). I apologize that my software doesn’t display Eris,
but this disruptive player sits at 22°+
Aries in the Parkland chart—within a reasonable orb to Uranus and square
Pluto (Capricorn). There’s a certain “David vs. Goliath” feel to Eris’s
role in these aspects, except that Eris is a militant feminine player, the so-called “Goddess
of Discord.” She may be small (a “dwarf planet”), but she’s mighty, and doesn’t
shrink from a challenge, being the sister of warrior Mars! We’ve seen her
fingerprints on the #MeToo movement, and we will undoubtedly see them on the
#NeverAgain movement.
Indeed, the Stoneman-Douglas girls committed to the #NeverAgain movement are amazingly articulate and courageous. They're following in a long tradition of female warriors.
The inconjuncts involved here speak to
the frustrating clash of interests reflected in the Parkland shooting, as in
every other mass shooting. To other nations watching our news, the choices look
simple: human lives should be more
highly valued than gun industry profits and political contributions, period. It’s a no brainer—they study the
issue with the goal of public safety in mind, then follow up by passing saner
laws to achieve this goal—done and done.
Except nothing
seems more difficult to achieve in our current discordant, NRA-dominated
culture. I was heartened by yesterday’s White House meeting when Nicole
Hockley’s pragmatic, solutions-based requests were highlighted. She’s the mother of slain
6-year-old Dylan and the managing director of the Sandy Hook Promise
organization, and she repeated over and over that sane gun control laws “are
not that difficult.” Connecticut has made dramatic progress since the Sandy
Hook disaster because of this mindset, so maybe there’s hope.
We haven’t heard the last of the frustrating
disconnects, of course, and it’s not likely we’re going to see substantive change in the
next couple years. Unfortunately, Jupiter will be transiting its home
sign of Sagittarius—not very conducive to new regulations that restrict
perceived “freedoms.” Maybe I’m just being cynical here—a more hopeful vision
could reframe our worn out 2nd Amendment “freedom” narrative to
place higher value on the freedom to be educated (Sagittarius) without fear. Or
on the basic rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” IMHO, the
NRA mindset needs to be forced to recede out along the extreme fringes again.
If that doesn’t work in the short term, there could be another
opportunity to push improved laws when Jupiter joins Saturn in its home sign
of Capricorn near the end of 2019.
Interchart
T-Square: Sibly Progressed Moon
(Sagittarius) opposes Sibly Mars-Parkland Part-of-Fortune (Gemini); this axis
squares Parkland Chiron (Pisces). We are in a critical progressed 3rd
quarter lunar phase as a nation, and as I wrote in a May,
2016 post, it was bound to be volatile. I couldn’t have envisioned then,
however, how many of our own children (Progressed Moon) we would be burying
as a nation during these tormented, violent (Mars) times.
There’s a
reason the Parkland Part-of-Fortune fell so directly opposite our
collective Progressed Moon that day, however: one person’s tragedy and
deep woundedness (Chiron) is another’s spike in profits. In this dog-eat-dog,
Darwinian world, one corporate behemoth’s opportunity (“fortune”) demands the
ongoing sacrifice of innocents. And perhaps our national innocence.
Again, “it’s a hard world for little things.”
Final
thoughts
IMHO, the hundreds of mass shooting
victims we’ve mourned since the 1999 Columbine massacre are simply unacceptable
sacrifices to the fickle Second Amendment/NRA “god.” It also seems to me that the
perverse accommodations we have made as a society for the “freedom to bear
arms” have crossed a line that threatens our national Soul. I agree with the
teens of Stoneman Douglas High that even the most sincere “thoughts and
sympathies” are simply not enough. And no, Mr. President, these latest 17
deaths are not about you! His attempts
to spin the Parkland attack as a sign that he’s
been mistreated in the Russia investigation are simply repulsive.
So, we’ll see if Trump’s gestures today
(Wednesday) to support and listen to the victimized families are anything more
than lip service. No doubt, his calling for stronger gun laws in Congress would
really test the GOP’s loyalty to him over their natural ideological
hang-ups. He said he “loves” DACA kids, too—how seriously can we take his
words?
The House is a particularly hard
case, of course: change is not going to come to that body in the wake of the
Parkland shooting any easier than it’s come to the Florida legislature.
As this unfolds, will anyone take the brave step of telling
the NRA to take their money and shove it? It’ll be a good day when an “F” from
the NRA is a badge of honor in Congress!
Bottom line, the Stoneman-Douglas
teens—and all our children—deserve
better. Far better.
Raye
Robertson is a practicing astrologer, writer and former educator. A graduate of
the Faculty of Astrological Studies (U.K.), Raye focuses on mundane,
collective-oriented astrology, with a particular interest in current affairs,
culture and media, the astrology of generations, and public concerns such as
education and health. Several of her articles on these topics have been
featured in The Mountain Astrologer and other publications over the years.
She is
also available to read individual charts—contact her at: robertsonraye@gmail.com.
© Raye Robertson 2018. All
rights reserved.