Edward Snowden: Gemini Whistleblower (Part I)
During the annual cycle of Gemini, with ongoing revelations about the NSA and covert monitoring of the USA (world) population, it’s heartening to see the person who leaked the information to the media, reveal himself. Edward Snowden has displayed great courage placing himself in a similar situation as others such as Julian Assange and Bradley Manning.
From Wiki: “Daniel Ellsberg, the whistleblower and leaker of the top-secret Pentagon Papers in 1971, stated in an interview with CNN that he thought Snowden had done an “incalculable” service to his country and that his leaks might prevent America from becoming a surveillance state. He said Snowden had acted with the same sort of courage and patriotism as a soldier in battle.[35] In an op-ed the following morning, Ellsberg added that “there has not been in American history a more important leak than Edward Snowden’s release of NSA material – and that includes the Pentagon Papers, for which I was responsible 40 years ago.”[36]“
Snowden was born (time unknown) with his Sun in the last degree of Gemini, trine to Pluto-Saturn in Libra, giving him a strong sense of fairness and justice. The Sun is also opposite Neptune, creating high idealism. He has Chiron, Mercury and Mars also in Gemini, opposing Jupiter-Uranus in Sagittarius, fuelling a strong sense of the truth.
With these factors, plus his Moon in Scorpio, he has an ideal horoscope for a spy and that is what he was doing, spying for the NSA. But now this spy has put himself out in the cold, at the mercy of various global forces. His outing of NSA and then of himself has provided a healthy counterbalance to the ongoing justifications and lies of those in power.
Edward Snowden (Part II) and Mercury Retrograde
(Update June 26, 2013)
It is fascinating to currently observe Edward Snowden’s situation. Hero to the new paradigm emerging and traitor to the old edifice crumbling, it is an interesting pair of opposites to consider for this person born in the sign of the Gemini Twins.
Now that his birth certificate is confirmed, the time yields his rising sign as Gemini, along with the Sun, Mars, Mercury and north node all in Gemini.
Gemini’s ruler Mercury, has been in its slowing-down-to-retrograde period for the past two weeks and goes retrograde proper on June 26. If a wiley and extremely intelligent Gemini like Snowden wanted some good cover, then he has it with Mercury retrograde in Cancer for the next several weeks. Here is the Crab and its ability to scuttle into hiding places and exercise survival skills.
Reputedly on his way to Ecuador from Moscow, there is a good chance during Mercury retrograde that there are constant delays and changes of plan in getting to his destination, or he could disappear altogether. Indeed, he might end up stuck in the transit lounge of Moscow airport, where he is now, for several weeks! (Shades of the movie, “The Terminal”.)
Ecuador option: There is some interesting synastry between Snowden and Ecuador’s horoscope, most notably both share Mercury in Gemini. Snowden’s progressed Sun is in late Cancer opposite Ecuador’s Moon in Capricorn, reflecting the fact that he could end up a political pawn of Ecuador’s and/or may find himself trapped there. Cancer is about the home base but it can also be a prison, physically and spiritually. Ecuador has a questionable record around free speech and, like many Latin American nations, is extremely corrupt. (Not that the western nations are much better!) Hence, whilst giving Ecuador a chance to further thumb their noses at the US, Snowden’s exile there may not be in his best interests in the long term.
Iceland option: This nation has recently gone through an amazing revolution where it has managed to take back its power from corrupt politicians and bankers, by jailing them – a totally unique situation in Europe and the world. Iceland’s chart is eerily similar to Snowden’s – five planets in Gemini, including the Sun and Mercury. With these placements, it’s no wonder that Iceland has become a popular place for web-hosting and creating a free-speech safe haven.
Transiting Jupiter, ruler of the second ray of love-wisdom, has been one of the major influences for Snowden, currently moving off his Gemini Sun as it makes its ingress into Cancer, the place of its exaltation. Jupiter is the planet of truth and in Snowden’s chart it is placed in its own sign Sagittarius with Uranus, opposite his Mercury and rising sign Gemini. From a very broad perspective, Gemini represents information and communications, whilst Sagittarius is about ethics and principles. We can see the choice that was made.
Interesting to note that Snowden’s Mars is only a few degrees away from the USA’s Mars in Gemini, both coming up for their Mars return in the next several days. I have written at length on my website and in my books about the problem with the USA Mars, media, misinformation etc.
Edward Snowden Update (Part III).
Mercury Retrograde
The Mercury retrograde period must certainly be regarded with respect – not superstition – but to carefully go back over factors that have resulted from one’s decisions. This is especially true for a Mercury-ruled multiple Gemini like Snowden. Some might say that he blew it, he should have just flown to South America in the first place and turned up at some embassy. Yet Snowden’s plight in the spotlight of international media has exposed enormous issues around data collecting, outright lies, the breaking of the law and the erosion of the US Fourth Amendment.
Snowden stuck in the transit area of an airport is classic Mercury retro, whilst so many engagements with various nations are being considered, and as human rights groups seek to support him. It’s also quite a Libran situation and Snowden has Saturn (exalted) in Libra, the sign of making decisions, justice, fairness and the law.
Snowden went through his first Saturn return in 2012 and no doubt its influence led him to what he describes as a ‘moral decision’. Libra has been described as ‘the master of no man’s land’ and that’s certainly where Snowden is now. Transiting Saturn in Scorpio’s transit can certainly apply rigorous tests to those who have made their decisions during a Libran Saturn return.
The timing for this entire situation currently rests with Mercury, now moving into its stationary period before it goes direct in eight days. Hence, for the next ten days or so, Mercury will be stationing on Snowden’s progressed Mars in Cancer, which sits close to the USA’s Sun in Cancer.
It underlines Snowden’s plight for a home versus Homeland Security, as well as Mars’ penchant for creating conflict over the situation. The USA has its Cancer Sun natally square to Saturn in Libra – it has also gone through its Saturn return recently. This square pattern between Saturn and the Sun has been responsible for USA’s heavy-handed approach in dealing with matters of law.
Cancer is well known for its themes of security and imprisonment, whilst the USA has been a champion of freedom – yet these two poles are now contradicting one another more than any other moment in its history. Great ironies abound, as the justifications for surveillance are in the name of ‘national security’, yet more control and suppression is emerging. Moon-ruled Cancer is a sign intimately associated with fear. Mercury is one of the rulers of the Fourth Ray of Harmony through Conflict, whilst Moon-ruled Cancer is one of the signs that indirectly expresses this energy. Can there be a harmonisation wrought from this conflict?
The situation may not necessarily come to resolution when Mercury goes direct, it usually takes a couple of weeks for Mercury to get back to its normal daily motion; it can feel just as intense as the retrograde period, with all the frustrations and delays. August 7 is a couple of weeks after Mercury goes direct and sees transiting Mercury conjoin Snowden’s progressed Sun in late Cancer. The Sun rules his fourth house of the home (on a higher level, the inner ashram that one is affiliated with), and this may indicate some kind of resolution.
Phillip Lindsay © 2014.
