The world watched in awe in late March as a giant container ship got stuck sideways in the Suez Canal, blocking international transportation in that major artery for days. A look at what was going on astrologically might hint at when the ship would be set free.

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) reported for that the ship became lodged at 7:40 AM on March 23 near Suez, Egypt. Remarkably, two major difficult planets were exactly on the major “angles” (directions) right then and there. As the world turns, the four directions as viewed from any particular point on our planet shift a zodiacal degree every four minutes on average (hence the need for accurate times for births or events). The angles are the most potent points in a chart. When two planets occupy angles simultaneously in a certain location, they are said to be in “paran.” This relationship is thought to be as important as an aspect and acts like an aspect, even if the planets are nowhere near the exact degree designations of the aspects. Parans can mimic a conjunction, square or opposition. In this case, the paran was similar to a square (90º, considered a very difficult interaction). At the time of the grounding, Uranus, a planet heralding quick, unpredictable and unusual events, had just risen and was within a degree of the eastern horizon, while Pluto, a planet of extremes and of big money, associated with havoc, sat atop the chart precisely at the Midheaven (the southernmost degree). They were 102º apart but interacted as if by square.

Both Uranus and Pluto are currently in signs of the Earth element, Uranus in Taurus and Pluto in Capricorn. Some people are blaming a dust storm (dirt blown around by wind). It ran aground into the canal bank, literally earth. At first, a post stated there may have been an electrical blackout on the ship (Uranus rules electricity) but that post was soon taken down and the theory was ruled out. Then it was reported that steering could have been a problem during high winds and the dust storm. Uranus also rules strong winds. Records show the ship was speeding at the time of the grounding. Speeding is often a maneuver to cope with high winds in the canal and the ship following behind the Ever Given was doing the same. Speed is related to Mars and damage to Chiron. The rising degree at the time of the lodging was exactly at the midpoint between Mars and Chiron. (A midpoint between heavenly bodies is a key blending of their influences.) Speed does look to be a factor.

The head of the SCA said ships pass frequently through the canal in high winds without incident and discounted the storm as the cause, instead theorizing some kind of technical error. Uranus rules electronics and technology, too, and is also associated with errors, including human errors. One way or another, Uranus seems to be involved.

Marine shipping insurers are bracing for a slew of claims, so determining the reason for the grounding is crucial with huge financial implications. To avoid the blocked canal, many ships went all the way around Africa to travel between Europe and Asia, adding days and cost to the journey. Insurance is ruled by Pluto and at the grounding, it was in a tense T-square pattern with Eris, the dwarf planet known for chaos, and the Moon in the sign it rules, Cancer, together associated with tides, which affect canal water levels. The process of successfully dislodging the Ever Given was assisted by a high tide.

Ships come under the auspices of Neptune. Saturn is notorious for blockages. Though these two planets were not in any aspect, the midpoint between Saturn and Neptune was at the same degree (0º Pisces) as the midpoint between Jupiter and Mercury, linking all their energies together. Jupiter rules everything international, including trade and transportation, and Mercury is related to commerce, as well. Saturn and Neptune were 40º apart, equal to the separation between Jupiter and Venus, which rules goods and valuables. Such “equal differences” are a key consideration in “symmetrical astrology,” a modern branch of the field. Jupiter shows involvement through these symmetries and midpoints even though it had no official (standard) aspects at the time of the grounding, a condition called “unaspected,” thought to mean acting as a wild card. Jupiter is in another potentially influential midpoint combination. The Jupiter-Neptune midpoint (keywords = large ship) at 6º Pisces occupies the same degree as the midpoint between Saturn and Venus (keywords = a contraction in profits). And finally, a very telling midpoint is Saturn at the midpoint of Jupiter and Pluto, three heavy-hitters pointing to restrictions (Saturn) on international (Jupiter) joint financial matters (Pluto).

At the time the ship was freed, there was type of a lucky triangle composed of three points positioned either one-fifth or two-fifths apart around the circle. The rising degree (a place in a chart that shows what’s happening at that minute in that place) was pointed to by Chiron and Pluto, which had been in a long-term quintile (one-fifth aspect) with seven occurrences from 2018 to 2021, the final one being on 3/23/21, the very day of the grounding. Their connection was still strong six days later and helped to mark the lucky moment when the tragedy ended by connecting with the rising degree.

When ship traffic resumed in the canal at 6:00 PM on March 29, Chiron (an indicator of repair and healing) was exactly on a directional angle, the western horizon. The Moon was one third of the sky (a relationship judged as favorable) from Jupiter, a signal that a tide (Moon) was cresting and therefore fortunate (Jupiter rules largeness and luck).

As with airplane crashes, an official investigation will seek to explain exactly what happened. Astrologers await their findings.