Bridge over Troubled Waters (Interstate-5 Bridge Collapses--Seen in Natal Chart of Mount Vernon, WA)

Skagit River, Mount Vernon, photo by Patricia Herlevi

(Soon after I wrote this post, I checked out the local news coverage of the collapsed bridge and much of what I said here about over exaggeration, etc has already come to pass.  I'm not surprised with 4 planets in Gemini and the Moon moving into Sagittarius. This event is also receiving international attention).

My original plan was to blog about t-crosses today.  However, last night I received the news that an Interstate-5 bridge on the border of Mount Vernon, Washington collapsed and my first reaction was to revisit the city's natal chart (which I have on file).  Depending on which chart I use, the June 27, 1890 incorporation date, or the filing date of the papers, July 6, 1890 (on a Sunday?) I'm confronted with a telling story.

A section of the bridge collapsed the evening of May 23, 2013 when a semi-truck hit a beam.  The semi truck and a pick up truck next to it plunged into the Skagit River (which represents a powerful vortex in which I am familiar). Minor injuries and no deaths were reported.  The bridge was built in 1955 and engineers inspected the bridge twice in 2012.

On a more esoteric note, I needed to go to Mount Vernon this week to buy a product not sold where I live.  When I meditated, my spirit guides told me to either go to Mount Vernon on Tuesday or early on Thursday, Tuesday as the best date.  Even so, when I rode the bus to Mount Vernon, southbound I had a foreboding feeling and I felt more vigilant that normal, watching the traffic carefully.  I had fallen earlier that day on stairs and bruised my knee so I thought I was feeling shaken up over that.  However, I did not have the foreboding feeling heading northbound.  And my spirit guides had warned me that if I waited until Friday to go to Mount Vernon, something would have blocked my way.

Here's the news story from the Seattle Times on the bridge collapse, http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021045926_bridgecollapsexml.html

And now let's look at the two charts.

In the July 6 chart, Saturn transits at 0 degrees Virgo, Neptune at 5 degrees Gemini, and Pluto at 7 degrees Gemini (I actually am looking at a chart for July 5 and making mental adjustments because this is the original date I have and I doubt the State filed any paperwork on a Sunday, July 6).  With the upcoming eclipse (and events can occur before an eclipse), the Sagittarius Moon, Gemini Sun, and Neptune in Pisces at 5 degrees are tightly aspected with Mount Vernon's Saturn in Virgo (an opposition and two squares), as well as, Neptune and Pluto in Gemini (conjunction with transiting Gemini Sun, opposition with Sagittarius Moon and square with transiting Neptune in Pisces for the day of the Lunar Eclipse).  Is it possible that Monday, July 7, 1890 is the correct date for filing of papers with the Secretary of State?

Meanwhile, transiting Jupiter conjuncts Mount Vernon's North Node (Gemini), sextiles Mount Vernon's Venus in Leo and conjuncts Mount Vernon's Mercury at 25 degrees Gemini which in the natal chart trines Mount Vernon's Aquarius Moon at 29 degrees.  The transiting Pluto-Uranus square squares Mount Vernon's Cancer Sun with a 5 degree orb (not exact, but close enough to cause a disturbance).

Now, I'll translate these aspects into English.  Saturn at Virgo 0 degrees represents the bridge's structure and the Lunar Eclipse planets Sun, Moon, and Neptune present challenging aspects to this Saturn, structure in Virgo and earth sign.  Neptune in Pisces represents water, (trucks plunge into the river), we can say that Gemini represents short distance travel (this is a main highway in Washington State that spans between the US-Canadian border and down the west coast, but for our purposes, between Seattle and northwest Washington).  The Sagittarius Moon reminds us that this coming weekend is Memorial Day weekend, a bank holiday with many events going on (mainly festivals) in Seattle, Bellingham and people traveling to Canada for the weekend.  Traffic will be rerouted, but it poses a hassle to anyone heading to south to the Seattle International Film Festival or the Northwest Folklife Festival (both ruled by Pisces/Neptune).

The transiting Sun's conjunction with Mount Vernon's North Node says that this event was fated and with all these air sign planets involved, I believe there will be more talk than action and a lot of exaggeration with Sagittarius involved.  It's best to keep this event in perspective and come up with a constructive plan to fix the problem rather than over analyze why it happened.  People in the region could also become critical of the government and the Department of Transportation under these Gemini influences.  Although in the Seattle Times article the people interviewed respond with Sagittarius optimism.

The incorporation date of June 27, 1890 chart has Saturn at 29 degrees Leo, but still close enough to Virgo to make an impact. The outer planet degrees remain the same as with the July 5 chart and the Pluto-Uranus square still square Mount Vernon's Cancer Sun at 6 degrees (with a 5 degree orb).  Transiting Pluto in Capricorn at 11 degrees forms an inconjunct with Mount Vernon's Mercury at 14 degrees and the Moon is now in Scorpio at 2 degrees forming sextile with Saturn which is just entering Virgo.  With either the June 27 or the July 5 dates, we see the same themes, which is disruption of structure (the bridge), an event revolving around short distance travel and prior to a holiday weekend.

Last, but not least, let's pull up the chart for the actual event.

Date and Time: May 23, 2013, 7 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
Mount Vernon, Washington  
Equal House Chart

AC is at Scorpio 13 degrees
North Node in Scorpio 16 degrees (3 degrees from the AC)
Moon at 17 degrees Scorpio (lots of water and Scorpio themes in first house)

Pluto in Capricorn in the late Second House (semi-truck carrying resources in traffic), transits near the cusps of the third house at 11 degrees (shy of 2 degrees) which squares Uranus in Aries (disruption in daily routine and at work), on the 6th House cusps (5th house themes are recreation, the arts, sports, and 6th house is health, daily routine, and in this case business as usual). The third house is empty, but watery Neptune is at 5 degrees in the 4th House of home, Mount Vernon is also ruled by Cancer which rules the 4th House, and here Neptune brings watery themes, dissolution of matter and structure further emphasized by the upcoming Lunar Eclipse in which Neptune will square the Sun in Gemini and Moon in Sagittarius.

The 6th house for this event chart is empty, but Mars still in Taurus (24 degrees) and the Sun at 3 degrees Gemini will eclipse in this house of partnerships, legal manners, and relationships. Will lawsuits happen because of a result of this event? I don't know, but the potential is there.  Mercury, Venus and Jupiter form a stellium in Gemini in the 8th House, other people's resources, or in this case government resources.  Could this indicate that this event will reveal secrets? Will we hear the government talking out both sides of its mouth or will we experience exaggerations of the event? All these situations are possible, especially with the powered by the Lunar Eclipse.  Finally, Saturn at 6 degrees Scorpio retrograde falls in the 12th House (behind the scenes, Pisces's house) just 7 degrees from the AC.


The Washington State Department of Transportation will eventually (within weeks) repair the portion of the bridge that collapsed.  However, in the meantime, people might change their weekend plans and forgo the hassle of short distance travel.  I don't know how this will affect the Ski to Sea race which happens in Bellingham this Sunday (one day after the Lunar Eclipse) since many of the teams come from other towns south of Bellingham and most likely Mount Vernon.  The good news is that no one died in the bridge collapse and that the collapse happened after peak hour traffic.  We are also reminded that we have little control over events that happen outside of us, but we do have a choice on how we respond to those events.  I still think it's a good idea to focus on what's working rather than re-watch news reports of the collapsed bridge.  Bridges collapse and they play a symbolic role.  What is the true meaning here?

Please note that I don't have a time for Mount Vernon for either date I mention so I'm not mentioning any house placements for Mount Vernon's charts. I am inclined to use a noon date for both.