David Petraeus

Barack Obama has decided to get serious about cleaning up the mess of the Afghanistan War, the longest running war in US history. He has pulled General David Petraeus from behind the desk as head of United States Central Command, and handed him control over military operations in Afghanistan.

General Petraeus proved himself in Iraq. He always carries a copy of The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius when in battle, therefore he understands the importance of befriending the people of the occupied land, while also being aware he may have to kill them the next day. “It’s widely accepted that no force worked harder to win Iraqi hearts and minds than the 101st Air Assault Division led by Petraeus.” [wiki]

We have no time of birth for the general, but there are some aspects in his chart which don’t depend on an exact time to explain his talents as a soldier and his ability to get results in complex wars such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mars rules war, and the general’s Mars is aided by the influence of a military star in Aquila the Eagle. Dheneb gives “ability to command, liberality, success in war and beneficence.” [1]. This star has the planetary nature of  Mars and Jupiter, hence success (Jupiter) in war (Mars). His Mars is trine Jupiter, yet another indicator of success in war.

Mars is opposite Uranus, and his Uranus is conjunct a star in Gemini the Twins called Wasat “This star which joins the twins, the “middle“, has an effect which builds bridges, forms alliances and treaties, and leads to peace more than war. There is also separation involved, as shown in the events with colonial powers moving out of occupied countries.” Now he has the skill of a soldier from Mars on Dheneb, combined with the skill as a bridge builder from Uranus on Wasat. Mars is his killer instinct, he can do the dirty work, but Uranus is his higher awareness and ability to think outside the square, and he uses that to reach out to the enemy to seek and end to the conflict.

Normally Mars opposite Uranus would show as rather rebellious and unstable energy, but the general has steady Saturn squaring them both. Saturn is the focal point of a T-square aspect pattern. This stabilizes the erratic energy of Mars opposite Uranus and turns the energy into something useful, concrete results. Neptune with Saturn puts vision and ideals into his achievements. He is in-tune with what is needed.

The timing of Obama’s decision is most interesting. The Solar Eclipse this July is on the fixed star Wasat, on the generals Uranus. America and her allies want to get the hell out of Afghanistan. Against all the military might and technology of the West, the Taliban are still making gains, inflicting the highest monthly death toll on the allies so far in the war this June.

General Petraeus, with his talent for winning battles and winning over the locals is definitely the man for the job. His talent as indicated by the T-square, is about to be activated by a Solar Eclipse. The allies goal is to start pulling out of Afghanistan in 2011. The general has his Saturn return at the end of October 2011. Given his previous record, and that T-square in his chart, his Saturn return should be a time of achievement and recognition. Very handy for a man who has been tipped as Republican 2012 presidential candidate.

“Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future, too.” Marcus Aurelius.

[1] Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, Vivian E. Robson, 1923, p.158.