I was working a lot when this scandal broke and so I have taken a while to have a look at the Astrology of what happened on 2nd October 2018 in Istanbul. If you have been living under a bridge and not heard about the situation here is a short appraisal. Jamal Khashoggi was a respected Saudi Arabian journalist and critic of the Saudi kingdom. He lived and worked in the US for the Washington Post. He was in Istanbul and needed to get some papers for his upcoming wedding. While his fiancée paced outside the Saudi Arabian embassy in Istanbul, Jamal Khashoggi entered the Saudi Embassy, and never came out. Speculation is rife what happened to Khashoggi inside the the embassy, but it is assumed that he was brutally murdered.
The moment that Khashoggi disappeared was 13.14.37 hrs, exact thanks to the CCTV camera outside the front door of the embassy. The chart for this moment sees the Ascendant at 22 degrees of Sagittarius. Now I never look at the Sabian Symbols for all of the degrees of the zodiac, but this time I decided to look, and the Sabian Symbol for this degree is “A Chinese Laundry”. Cleaning up something that is dirty? If Khashoggi was killed in the embassy, that is exactly what happened on 2nd October 2018 to hide all the evidence. There is also a fateful side to the 22nd degree of any sign, and I have heard this degree set been described as “killed or be killed”. Sagittarius is the sign of wisdom and freedom, and Jamal Khashoggi was hugely respected around the world as one of the most thoughtful commentators and critics against the lack of liberty in the Middle East. Again very apt for the events of that moment, as the Saudi journalist vanished.
The actual chart of this moment sees an exact closing square from Sun in 9th house of international relations to the Moon in the 7th house of relationships and open enemies, with both planets ruling the 8th house of secrets, inevitable change, life and death. Both of these planets were aspected by harsh Saturn, the planet of authority, the Moon in a difficult and upsetting opposition and the Sun in a tough square. All of these themes were in encapsulated in this moment. The most elevated planet is Mercury, the planet of communication, representing the journalist, within the public 10th house. Mercury was square to Pluto, the planet of brutality, manipulation, power and control, representing the death squad waiting for him behind the scenes. We had fixed squares between Mars, the planet of aggression and violence conjunct the unfortunate South Node to both Uranus, the planet of shocks and unpredictable events and to Venus moving retrograde in Scorpio, the planet of values and diplomacy. Diplomatic pressure has been leveraged on the Saudis from all over the world, and yet values in this case have been literally thrown out of the window, because I think there is a bigger power play going on in the background.
In regards to this I look finally at Jupiter, the chart ruler, and it sits in the 11th house of cooperation and friends making a sextile to Pluto. The elephant in the room in all this is huge finance, power, investments and growth between friends, namely the Saudis and the United States and the impending trade deals that have recently been signed. This also lies at the heart of the events going on, and it may be that the killing of this journalist will be unfortunately shoved under the carpet, because of the huge international deals that would be potentially scuppered if tough sanctions were imposed on the Saudis.
As for Khashoggi himself (born on 13th Oct 1958 in Medina, Saudi Arabia) as this event occurred, he was experiencing a very nasty square from transiting Pluto to his natal Libran Sun. Just as interestingly the Nodal axis and Mars were square to his Jupiter/Neptune conjunction, part of a wider collection of planets all in the same part of the heavens as he was born. This combination of planets is very spiritual and requiring of complete freedom to express oneself, and this was a driving force in Jamal's life. You will also see that Khashoggi was born under a new Moon Solar Eclipse, forming a large stellium incorporating Jupiter and Neptune plus the North Node, his destiny, and Mercury, his voice and need to communicate. He was born to speak his mind and push an international message, one that the Saudis did not appreciate. The transiting square from Mars and the South Node was working at cross purposes to this desire in him, as if difficult direct actions connected to ones from the past were taken to stop him to spreading this message. Mars square to Neptune can be a very nasty aspect if used in the wrong manner; there are almost no limits to the depravity that can occur under it.
Putting Khashoggi's natal chart against the Saudi Arabian natal chart, you can see that his natal Solar Eclipse stellium was clamped around the Saudi Ascendant and square to the Saudi Sun, Saturn and Jupiter, as if Khashoggi talked to the nation but was a thorn in the side of the Saudi leadership (Sun/Saturn) and their national beliefs (Jupiter in 4th). Added into this, notice Khashoggi’s natal Mars square to the chart ruler of the Saudi chart Venus, thus his actions would have elicited a love/hate relationships for him in the nation. That natal Venus was also opposed by Jamal's natal Pluto so here was a battle of wills between the ethos of the nation, and the quiet power of persuasion of Khashoggi. It was a battle he was fated to lose.
The Saudi chart against the 2nd October is also revealing. Mercury sits in the hidden 12th house of suffering and things happening behind the scenes conjunct to the Ascendant, as mentioned before square to transiting Pluto, which very interestingly is sitting directly on the natal Saudi Saturn. This suggests to me that someone in administration (Saturn) of the nation issued the death (transiting Pluto) of the journalist (transiting Mercury). Transiting Uranus, the planet of shocks was square to the Saudi natal Mercury, and this must have been a true shock to the system of the media within the kingdom. You'll also see that the transiting South Node, a point of detriment was also conjunct to this natal Mercury. The message to the journalist in Saudi Arabia must have been a stark one - “Speak out of turn and you see the potential consequences!!” As for Jamal, he was born close to a moment when the Sun was extinguished by the dark of the Moon. His star shined bright for all but 60 years, until like the Sun when he was born, he himself was extinguished in the most awful circumstances imaginable.
The last planet I will look at is Venus. On the Saudi chart, Venus rules the first house and the 8th of power and control, death and inevitable change. Transiting Venus moving retrograde was sitting directly on the natal North Node in the Saudi first house of how others see the nation square to the Saudi Mars resident in the 4th house, and this leads us to focus on the matter of values and in particular past values. This rebellious Mars in Aquarius square to the Nodes accurately reflects the brutality and violence that Saudi Arabia constantly gets away within the constraints of the land it administers, and this Venus is reminding us of those values. The natal square will always undermine Saudi Arabia in the minds of some as this country stubbornly does its own thing. Unfortunately because of the oil and mineral wealth that Saudi Arabia has, money does talk, and I fear that this will be just one more outrageous act that will not change the values there and in the region, either now or in the future.
This article was also posted on my personal blog and Facebook page...