Until we can be honest about our impact on the situation and take responsibility for changing, we will not move toward a real resolution of this worldwide conflict. Initially, after 9/11, it was considered treason to even speak of American fault in the larger picture of events. Currently, there are some cracks in this façade, most notably in the recent book published by Anonymous, a CIA agent who specializes in terrorism. In Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror, Anonymous suggests that it is not who we are that sparks the rage of the terrorists, as suggested by the Bush administration, but what we do – our occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, our support of corrupt Muslim regimes, and our uncritical support of Israel. The simple and obvious truth here is that while we cannot change who we are, we can certainly change what we do. We can also strive to understand how our actions have impacted others, most notably, how our foreign policy and oil dependency have impacted reality in the Middle East. And we can work to become increasingly independent from Middle Eastern oil and the contortions it forces on our policies in that part of the world. With enlightened thinking and action, the War on Terror doesn’t have to extend into forever. While we pursue those who want to attack us, we can also siphon the blood out of their persuasive appeal to those who are disempowered and angry at our policies. But we need to get off the drama merry-go-round and reclaim responsibility for having helped to shape the landscape.

For finding periods that seem more vulnerable to unexpected violence and disruption, astrology can be a very useful tool. One chart that seems to be particularly relevant to potential terrorist acts is based on the 1998 meeting of Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and other jihadists, when they joined forces to create the Islamic World Front for the Struggle against Jews and the Crusaders, now currently known more by the name of bin Laden’s original organization, al Qaida. The indication given is that the meeting took place in the “early morning.” I have estimated the time at 7:30 AM, but this is only conjecture.

Based on the early morning time, this chart has a 12th house stellium in Pisces – Sun, Jupiter, Mercury, and South Node - square to Pluto. This suggests intensity and fanaticism (Pluto) tied to the group’s goals (Sun), thinking (Mercury), and its religious/philosophical understanding of the world (Jupiter). The likely 12th house preponderance adds an element of total abnegation of self and a feeling of sacrifice to an ideal or belief system that can be somewhat disconnected from normal reality. Moreover, the likely first house Mars placement suggests a very forceful and aggressive manifestation of the group’s presence into the environment.