Vermont Flooding
After a very dry spring in much of the eastern US evoked widespread drought conditions, the climate change worm turned dramatically in late June and early July 2023, deluging these same areas with more rain than they could handle. Vermont quickly became the poster child for Northeast flooding, with new records set for rainfall in the Green Mountain State. Wastewater treatment facilities were among the hardest-hit, with 33 impacted statewide, and the plant in Johnson inundated by eight feet of water, leaving “total destruction” in its wake, with “just the shell of a building” remaining.
Flash flooding was endemic, and continued for almost a week as successive weather systems continued to pour water on the state. Three to four feet of water flooded fields in Burlington, with an estimated 100% crop loss for farmers. The state capital Montpelier set a new record for rainfall, with 5.28” of precipitation on Monday 10 July, exceeding the previous record set by Hurricane Irene in 2011.
A chart set for that date shows the issue at hand – a surfeit of H2O. Neptune at 27 Pisces, which rules flooding, opposes asteroids Raine 221019 at 25 Virgo and Storm 12182 at 18 Virgo, as well as Vermont’s natal Jupiter at 28 Virgo, prompting the excessive (Jupiter) rainfall (Raine) from multiple (Jupiter again) storm systems (Storm) that flooded (Neptune) the state (Vermont “born” on 4 March 1791, when it officially entered the Union, becoming the 14th state). Focusing the overall “floods from rain storms” vibe of the Neptune-Raine/Storm polarity onto Vermont specifically, to devastating effect, is a T-Square with asteroids Green 12016, Rainer 16802 and Nemesis 128 at 23, 24 and 25 Gemini respectively, on its fulcrum. Rainer reinforces the “rain” factor, Nemesis indicates destruction and ruin, and Green identifies the Green Mountain State as under the deluge. A Grand Cross with asteroid Ophelia 171 at 27 Sagittarius hints at the loss of life from drowning, with one native Vermonter falling prey to the floodwaters.
Asteroid Flood 4220 at 26 Aquarius sang out as well, in a tense T-Square, exactly opposing asteroid Johnson 5905 at 26 Leo, with Uranus and asteroid Sturm 31043 (German for “storm”) at 22 and 27 Taurus on its fulcrum. Uranus depicts the sudden, unexpected rise of the floodwaters, which transformed urban streets into rivers in a matter of minutes, as well as the shocking devastation unleashed. Johnson represents the town of that name, whose wastewater treatment plant was completely destroyed in an 8-foot flood.
Not to be outdone, Vermont’s natal asteroid Flood also got into the action. At 1 Virgo, natal Flood was triggered by transit Mars, newly entered into Virgo’s first degree, representing the vast energy unleashed by the flooding, which swept away all in its path. Natal Flood was also opposed by a transit conjunction of Damocles 5335, the impending doom hanging overhead, and Saturn, bringing hardship, loss and privation, at 2 and 6 Pisces. Transit Flood is applying to this conjunction, about to oppose its natal degree. The addition of natal asteroid Farmer at 5 Gemini creates a T-Square, and directs the floodwaters toward farmer’s fields.
63-year-old Stephen Davoll was found drowned in his home in Barre City on July 12th, Vermont’s sole casualty from this round of flooding. His loss is represented vividly by asteroid Stevens 38540, which was at station, having turned retrograde from 16 Scorpio on July 7th, signaling a literal “turning point” for persons of that name; in this case, from life to death. Stevens was accompanied by asteroid Anubis 1912, named for the ancient Egyptian deity governing funerary rites, also at station, turning retrograde from 21 Scorpio on July 13th, the day after Davoll’s drowning. Stevens opposed Uranus at 22 Taurus portrays the sudden, unexpected nature of the tragedy. The victim is further represented by asteroid Stephania 220 at 17 Cancer (a feminine variant), spotlighted by a conjunction with the 19 Cancer Sun; and by asteroid Stevin 2831 (alternate spelling), which at 3 Aries conjoins flooding Neptune at 27 Pisces, also opposing a pairing of asteroid Osiris 1923 (named for the Egyptian god of the dead) and Rip 7711 (“RIP”) at 5 and 6 Libra, again linking Stephen Davoll with markers of death.
Born 12 August 1959 (no time available), Stephen Davoll’s untimely demise via water was foreshadowed in the natal chart, with stationary placements for asteroids Sturm at 28 Aries and Anubis at 15 Sagittarius, both trine the 19 Leo Sun. This links the theme of death (Anubis) with the effects of a storm (Sturm), though there is no Grand Trine present, with Anubis and Sturm in sesquiquadrate to each other, not trine. Further, asteroid Raine accompanies Sturm from 26 Aries, defining the type of storm that would be his undoing: a rainstorm (as opposed to a blizzard or tornado).
Speaking of undoing, Davoll also sports a conjunction of asteroid Nemesis at 28 Gemini, indicating destruction, ruin and undoing, with asteroid Ophelia at 23 Gemini, noted for drowning deaths, setting the stage for a watery demise. This combination lies at the fulcrum of a T-Square with asteroids Karma 3811 and Requiem 2254 at 20 Pisces, named for the funeral mass for the dead, again suggesting a fated (Karma) passing (Requiem). As well, transit Neptune at 27 Pisces was squaring natal Nemesis, with transit Storm and Raine at 18 and 25 Virgo closing in on natal Karma, and transit Nemesis at 25 Gemini about to return to its natal degree, accompanied by asteroids Green and Rainer at 23 and 24 Gemini. Transit Ophelia at 27 Sagittarius completes a Grand Cross, just past exact opposition to its natal degree.
Natal Flood at 0 Leo was exactly cojoined by transit Mars and is squared natally by asteroid Rip at 2 Scorpio and Neptune at 4 Scorpio, planetary ruler of floods and drowning. A loose T-Square is formed from Flood’s opposition to natal Damocles at 10 Aquarius, the impending doom. Natal asteroid Storm at 18 Cancer was conjoined by the Sun three days before his death.
In Vermont’s birth chart, Stephen Davoll’s eventual drowning death in a rainstorm is imaged as asteroid Stephania at 25 Scorpio, conjunct asteroid Storm at 29 Scorpio, squared asteroid Ophelia 28 Aquarius (conjoined by transit Flood at 26 Aquarius at his passing). An out-of-Sign T-Square is formed with asteroid Flood at 1 Virgo. Vermont’s natal asteroid Stevens at 4 Libra is at the fulcrum of a T-Square with asteroids Atropos and Rip at 1 and 8 Cancer, and asteroid Anubis at 3 Capricorn, ignited at the tragedy by transit asteroids Osiris and Rip at 5 and 6 Libra, conjoined natal Stevens, with transit Anubis also highlighting Davoll’s natal Saturn, ancient lord of death, at 0 Capricorn.
More havoc unleashed as the global average temps rise to unsupportable levels for life as we know it.
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Laurien
So many of these ‘unprecedented’ events these days. It is fascinating to see them reflected in the asteroids in a morbid kind of way. I am guessing it will be awhile before the area that lost its sewage plant is habitable. I hope there is no threat of disease and that people get the help they need to recover quickly. Thanks Alex!