"Earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves,“ says Wikipedia. Earthquakes can becaused by many resons: rupture of geological faults, but also by volcanic activity, landslides, even nuclear experiments and mine blast. Earthquake is something that violently and suddenly shakes the earth destroying buildings, sometimes whole cities, and of course, human lifes. Despite of technical and scientific knowledge and measuring equippments, earthquakes are difficult to predict. There are cycles of seismic acticity in a certain area of the world, but even that seems to be highly irregular.

Browsing through the Internet, you can easily see that astrology in abounding but very little you can find pages that dedicate to establish even a smallest kind of knowledge based on raw data. Individual natal charts are profusely obtainable, but scarcely chart of natural catastrophes or the like. Earthquakes are in a way easy to search for; there is a lot of data available and most important and the timing of the event is precise up to seconds. No need for speculation

Let us be amateur scientists without any preposterous claims. Back to roots collecting earthquake data! It took several hour to get the data of greatest earthquakes + two curiosities (including Bothnia Sea 1882 and Norway 2008). I decided to include some notable historical earthquakes, but most are from the 20th century. I' am aware that there is a major collection of Eartquake data (The Astrological Prediction of Earthquakes and Seismic Data Collection by Joelle Steele, 2009, 4th ed.) consisting 2000 Earthquakes, but maybe it is so with Astrology, the more you add data, the less you can see any meaningful patterns.

Every astrology student knows that there are some claims and suppositions concerning the typical ingredients of a massive earthquake. For instance some say that earthquakes happens around a solar or Lunar eclipse. But that is not of course enough. Some say that Uranus has a definitive influence when the earth goes shaky. Uranus aspecting Saturn is a one favourite among aspects. Some say that Mars/Saturn hard aspect is also needed. Maybe overall T-cross in suitable signs is also a good point. Some are convinced that there must be a powerful planet at the side of the Zodiac and the main group opposite side. That might be conducive to heightened tectonic acitivity. Some think that an eclipse is often triggering earthquakes.

Kobe Earthquake 1999, 7,2 Richter, 4600 dead. Chart with a T-Square in mutable Mode and a Full Moon flanked by Uranus and Neptune.

This home made study is based on the charts of 89 great earthquakes. Among them are the most infamous, most destructive and strongest you can find. But there are also couple curiosities, one earthquake in Finland and a Norwegian earthquake - both very modest compared to over 7 Degree quakes measured in Richter’s scale.

It is hardly sensible to think that zodiac signs have anything to do with propensity to earthquakes. Signs represent a quality of time. But tradition says that cardinal signs might be special signs if something sudden and surprising is going to happen. Especially the earth signs, Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn have a symbolic connection to earth. Earthly and man made structures are the domain of Capricorn. I divided the points into three according planetary locations in cardinal, fixed and mutable signs. The overall distribution of points indicate that most prominent mode is fixed, then mutable and lastly cardinal. At the top is Aquarius with 73 points and Aries is at the bottom with 47 points.

Rudolf Tomaschek proposed (Great Earthquakes and the Astronomical Positions of Uranus, Nature Volume 184, 177 - 178 (1959)) few decades ago that the Position of Uranus is most important when great Earthquake strikes. He found that often Uranus is near vertical axis (MC-IC) in the charts of Earthquakes. In the ligft of this small collection of charts, this does'nt seem to be so. Saturn is more frequently found at IC than Uranus.

By calculating the planetary aspects, we notice that some traditions seem to have a solid background. Mars/Saturn hard aspect is the most frequent companion of a major earthquake. Difference between the top number and lowest number is not great, though. Surprisingly, Saturn/Uranus -aspect is not common in this data. Saturn represents something stabilised and solid, therefore it is best candidate for earth crust solidity, too. Uranus symbolises sudden outbursts, changes and mutations. Fairly well is represented Saturn/Pluto - hard aspect, which too as Saturn/Uranus has been seen forming in the sky.

Peru, Lima 1687, 8.5 Richter, 5000 dead, a tsunami followed. See lonely Pluto in Cancer T-Squaring four planets in cardinal Mode.

Lets look at the sign distribution for some planets and AS-DC and MC-IC -axis. There are some mysterious details. Uranus in Pisces is far most common and there seems to be a curious caps because Zero point goes to Uranus in Libra. But this might be due to date selection. If we widen the decades and centuries from which we pick the earthquakes, the results will probably change. Sun's distribution in sign shows which time of the year most earthquakes are happening. And it seems clear that they do happen mostly at the beginning of the year when Sun moves in Capricorn or in Aquarius (January-February). Evaluating the frequency of Ascendant in Signs, you should remember that the time each sign is rising depends greatly on the latitude. Most of earthquakes have been on the Northern Hemisphere, but not many at high latitudes (note Alaska and Kamchatska earthquakes). Leo and Libra are slowly rising signs, and they are at the top, but Virgo being also slow rising sign, is at the bottom.

Tradition says that natural catastrophes are more likely if there is a heavenly T-cross or Grand Cross. T-cross means that two planets are opposing each other and third one is squaring both. Grand Cross is an extension of that while it has fourth member perfecting the planetary T-shape to four-cornered shape. T-crosses are fairly common among birth charts but not so with Grand Crosses. I took notion of proper T-squares and also T-squares where planets are not actually squaring or opposing one another but all three are in the same mode of Signs, for instance Mars 13 degree Aries, Neptune 19 Capricorn and Saturn 28 degree of Libra. This is a kind of loose T-Square by Sign. And moreover, I counted also those cases where T-square is not perfect but one planet is slipped to another sign as in case Jupiter is 28 degrees of Sagittarius opposing Venus 23 degree Gemini and both are almost squaring Moon 3 degree Libra. This is a kind of twisted T-Square. Moreover in many earthquake charts are tense aspects, squares and opposites without forming any T-Squares.

Lissbon 1755, 8.8 Richter, about 50000 dead. Chart (In the double-Chart, the Chart Below) with an imperfect T-Square in Cardinal Mode. What makes famous Lissbon Earthquake interesting is the preceding Solar Eclipse which took place 6.9.1755. Solar Eclipse chart (In the double-Chart, the Chart Above) shows Moon and Sun at 13.20 Virgo opposing Uranus at 13.20 Pisces. Pluto was squaring both these at 13.49 Sagittarius. Sometimes accuracy is most portent part of astrological interpretation!

Let's look at Moon in these charts. There were 3 New Moons and 6 Full Moons and even one, where Lunar Eclipse was going on. But more important fact is that in 23 cases Lunar or Solar Eclipse was within two to three three weeks. Either Eclipse was ahead or past few weeks. Lunar Eclipses often accompany also Earthquakes reinforcing Solar Eclipses. See for example above Friulia 1348 chart. The Earthquake was 25.1. and preceding Lunar Eclipse took place 3.1. Moreover, Moon was aheading towards Solar Eclipse, which came about week after the Earthquake. To put it simple, eclipses seems to play important part in every third earthquake charts.

Friuli 1348, 6.8 Richter, 1000 dead, 150000 left homeless. Chart with a imperfect T-Square in fixed Mode.

As so many others have said, these years 2010-2011 are indicating propensity to grand scale natural disasters, among other earthquakes. Very soon in 2010 summer Pluto in Capricorn is squaring Jupiter/Uranus in Aries and Saturn in Libra. This is a very powerful T-Cross formation. It induces easily End-of-the-World - scenarios. If our planet is influenced by the solar systems changing balance and equilibrium, this is the time to test that hypothesis. There are two Eclipses in summer, Moon eclipse 26th June and Solar Eclipse 11th July. According to traditional astrology, Eclipses can breed exceptional natural phenomen.

Haiti 2010. Almost the whole year 2010 was marked by Grand Cross in the Sky formed by Saturnus opposing Jupiter/Uranus and all these squaring Pluto. Not end of the World, but astrologically minded people won't be surprised if there will be turbulent weather conditions or even more catastrophic natural phenomenon.

No one hopes the worst and it is sad to see astrologer's futile attempts to say something ponderous about the oncoming calamities, but this time there are all the reasons to emphasise how critical times we are living. Will there be an affirmation to these bleak expectations, we'll see that within a year. Haitian Earthquake in January was perhaps only a precursory event to what follows.

And we should not forget the volcano Eruption in Island. Unfortunately the same symbols that might describe the possibility of heightened seismic activity, can also applied to volcanic activity. Eyjafjallajökull started to erupt at the spring equinox (21.3.2010) when Sun had just entered Aries with Mercury and both were in opposition with Saturn and squared by Pluto (T-square with Pluto as Apex). The second eruption that was ten times bigger than the first one took place 14.4.2010. And because in the past Eyjafjallajökull's neighbour Volcano, Katla, has regularly erupted the same year as Eyjafjallajökull, it is feared that Katla will go off sometimes within present year. But no one knows for sure. This kind of catastrophe is as possible as major Earthquake. And past history gives a hint: Katla's last eruption took place 1821, when Uranus and Neptune were both at the beginning of Capricorn - the same position than Pluto has now. Unfortunately the Ingredients for great natural upheavels are good. The mixture of Saturnus/Uranus opposition and Pluto's square to both of these is even too suitable for natural disasters. But Astrology has not produced any reliable timing system to tell when, neither where the disaster will strike.

San Francisco 1989 eartquake, 6.9 Richter, 63 dead and 7000 left homeless. Chart with a typical T-Square in cardinal Signs. Rising Mercury acts as a trigger-planet. Notice also Sat/Ura/Nep around IC. Previous massive Earthquake in San Francisco are took place 18.4.1906. In both charts Uranus is 8 degree Capricorn. This is due to 84 years interval which separtes these two Earthquakes. It is also Uranus orbital period. In both cases, T-Square was in the Cardinal Mode.

The Beginning anf the End are more numerous than the middle phases. Roughly said it means that great Earthquakes are unleashed more radily when the Moon is less than one week old or when Moon is approaching the Sun to join it within a week.

In tradition there are many hints to Moon's role in Earthquakes. Moon was near its Apogee (furthest away from Earth) in (Syria 1157, Sicily 1693, Iran1780, Bogota1785, Japan 1891, Kanto 1923, Japan 1948, Guetemala 1976, India/Pakistan Border 2001, Turkey 2003, Indonesia 2004 and Haiti 2010 - in all 12 cases). This seems to be significant number in this kind of miniature chart collection. Moon was about maximum distant (Perigee) from the Earth only in two cases (Iran 1990 and Chilean Coast 2010). Has Moon's distance something to do with Earthquakes ?

Quito, Ecuador, 1797, 7.6 Richter, 41000 dead. Chart with two T-Squares, one in fixed Mode, the other in Cardinal Mode.

There is no fixed model of "typical Earthquake charts". T-Cross formation is very common in all three mode. I emphasize that in majority of these charts there is an anomalous planetary formation whatever shape it may take. In a typical chart one planet is on the other side of the Zodiac and the main group is on the side. This produces symboligically "tension", which might translate itself to seismic activity. Or there might be a Stellium of Planets squaring a lonely planet. These charts should be viewed as a whole looking fo patterns of imbalance.

Italian city L'Aquila was destroyd in 1703. Only 308 died, 1500 injured, Earthquake left 65000 people homeless. The Chart is anomalous because it contains a Stellium in Aries and second one in Aquarius sextiling roughly each other - harmless enough. But Moon/Pluto at the bottom of the Chart are in conjunction and opposing planets in Aquarius.

Here is the list of Earthquakes used on this page. I emphasize that 89 item data is a statistical joke. But astrology has it's own point of view which should not be mixed with criteria of natural sciences. Still it would be exciting to see how these figures would change taken from an extensive data. But as said, this a an amateurish beginning. I hope someone is going to embrace the matter with more resolution.

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