If they had an astrologer ...

I read with some dismay that 11 people lost their lives in an ice avalanche near the summit of K2 in Pakistan.

When I read that the avalanche happened on Friday afternoon, I couldn’t help myself.

The ancients always used the time of greatest eclipse for their charts, whereas we tend to use the time of exact conjunction/opposition for an eclipse in modern astrology.

If anything prompts me to look more carefully at the ancient way of doing it, it is this chart.

Not only is modern bad-boy Pluto exactly on the degree of the ascendant for this eclipse on K2, the first degree of Capricorn is a hairs-breadth away from the ascendant.

As a modern astrologer, the Pluto on the ascendant of the eclipse chart for an expedition in the least hospitable climate in the world would be a dead-give-away to say “guys, lets look at another date.”

Were I an ancient astrologer without the advantage of Pluto, I’d still look at 0 Capricorn rising, Saturn’s position in Mercury’s home, and Mercury getting some uncharacteristic light and say “guys, lets look at another date.”

Were I a modern astrologer who is keen on the topo centric conjunction, the chart is virtually identical to this chart (a couple minutes earlier)… yep, you guessed it, .. “guys, lets look at another date”

There is not much one can say in hindsight on a tragedy like this except that astrology can be really, really useful sometimes.

Take Care

Rod