Eichler Home Explodes

Last Wednesday something happened in Palo Alto, California. If you're unaware of what Palo Alto is about let me tell you. Nothing ever happens in Palo Alto. Palo Alto is full of rich people who have real money (rare for California) like doctors and lawyers. These are people to whom nothing ever happens. No Retrogrades. No Squares. Just uptight easy living full of fear that someday someone will come along and sue their brains straight out of their heads.

So, last week something bad happened in Palo Alto. A house blew up. It was one of those mid-century Modern Eichlers apparently with glass walls and a flat roof. And a slow gas leak... Plumbing is really difficult to fix in Eichlers because the plumber has to jack hammer the concrete floor to get to the pipes. So no one ever fixes a problem like that.

At the time of the explosion, the North Node and Lilith were straddling the IC opposing Mars (explosions) in Cancer (homes). Although I feel really bad for the people who lived in the house I am totally awestruck by the astrology of their loss. I suppose one could say that Lilith represents homewreckers, she's a complicated Gal. The North Node is an abstract point in space which represents Destiny.

Eichler Home Explodes
Sept. 30, 2009 slightly before 8:28 am, Palo Alto, CA

Last Wednesday just as the Mars-South Node conjunction opposed the IC (House and Home) for Palo Alto, CA the flat roof blew straight off the top of the aesthetically pleasing house (Sun and Ascendant in Libra) and flew over on to the neighbor's house.

As we say in California. Gnarly session.

Neptune rules Gas. At this point in time the Moon (Home) is in conjunction with Neptune (Gas) in the 4th House (Home). And these two are in conjunction with Chiron (Wounding, things which can't be fixed) and Jupiter (expansive) in Aquarius, sign that rules Hopes, Wishes, and Sudden Shocking Events.

To further emphasize the Gas theme, the Sun was unaspected (by major aspect) in Neptune's House (Gas). It had just risen over the Ascendant. The Sun, of course, is a major fire influence. When it is unaspected its energies don't flow freely.

The only minor aspect the Sun had was to the Moon-Neptune conjunction which I've said is down in the 4th House. I think it was a sesqui-square, still can't read that aspect. I forgot to check Rex Bills to see what rules leaks.

Mars is one of the rulers of Explosions. And Mars is conjunct both the Nodal Axis and the IC/MC Axis which rules Home. And Mars is transiting through Cancer, which is sign that rules the home. And Mars is extra strong in this particular chart and he is both the elevated planet and the lead planet in the locomotor chart shape. These dual Axes are also held within a Mystic Rectangle with the Saturn-Uranus opposition.

Good news is that no one suffered serious injuries. The Owner of the House suffered minor injuries.

I tried to find the birth date for Joseph Eichler but couldn't except for birth year and place (1900, New York State). Eichler was a middle income housing tract developer in California who built Modern style homes en masse that set the tone for the California style. Flat roofs, big windows, concrete slab floors, atriums. There's a great description of Eichler here.

http://johnfyten.com/eichlers_sunnyvale.htm