The Solar Eclipse on January 26, 2009 set the stage for newsworthy occurrences in aviation, which is represented by Aquarius.  So far, headlines have included such changes as FCC flight regulations and NASA’s issues with Discovery.

Of course, the most significant news stories about aviation were Miracle on the Hudson and the tragic Flight 3407, which bracketed the eclipse period with some irony.  For example, one crashed moments after take-off, the other crashed moments before its arrival.  One had no losses; the other had no survivors.  Both were caused by Aquarian phenomena, i.e., birds and ice.  One is known for its astute and experienced pilot; the other was flying, literally, on automatic pilot, a phrase commonly associated with the sign of Aquarius too.

Astrologically, the irony of these events involve the Saturn-Uranus opposition, which obviously symbolize the plane crashes.  In the take-off chart for Miracle on the Hudson, the opposition sits on the MC/IC axis.  In the take-off chart for Flight 3407, the opposition runs across the ASC/DES axis!

More specifically, the rules of travel in electional astrology include the 7th house as “what happens on the way to the destination” and the 4th house is “the journey home.”
In the chart of Miracle on the Hudson, Mars is on the 7th house cusp in His exalted position of Capricorn, which, in turn, is ruled by Saturn, sitting on the 4th house cusp.  In other words, the heroic journey led right back home.  In the unfortunate chart for Flight 3407, Uranus, planet of accidents, sits on the 7th house cusp, and in that house, is Venus in Her detriment, the fiery Aries.

Miracle on the Hudson also had the blessings of Venus in Her exaltation, Pisces, as well as the protection of the void-of-course Moon.

Another irony is what conjoins the degree of the Solar Eclipse in each of these charts, thereby “triggering” its Aquarian volatility.  Mercury in the chart of the Miracle on the Hudson is on that degree (and some astrologers give Aquarius as the exaltation of Mercury); while in the other chart, Mars (no longer in exaltation) conjoins the degree of the Eclipse.

These events are passed, but their energy lingers in the air (no pun intended) until, at least, the next set of eclipses this summer, when we will revisit their themes and bring them to peace.  In the meantime, keep your eye on the news for other Aquarius-like phenomena that will emerge from that Solar Eclipse.

Data:
Miracle on the Hudson: January 15, 2009, 3:30 P.M. E.S.T., New York, NY
Flight 3407:  February 12, 2009, 7:45 P.M. E.S.T., Newark, NJ
N.B.  The chart of the take-off of Flight 3407 is more significant than the chart of the actual crash, akin to a natal horoscope and a transit.