The Cunard liner Lusitania made her maiden voyage on September 7, 1907. She was 787 feet long and weighed 31,550 tons. Dubbed the Greyhound of the Atlantic, Lusitania had set a record for a transatlantic crossing (Liverpool, England to New York City) of 24 knots.
On May 7, 1915, at 2:10 p.m. Lusitania was travelling in a restricted zone but 11 miles south of Old Kinsale Head, Ireland. She carried 1,960 passengers. The restricted zone was an area that circumvented the British Isles and declared by Germany to be subject to unrestricted submarine warfare.
Sighted by the U-20, Lusitania unknowingly maneuvered within 700 meters of the submarine. One gyroscopic torpedo was fired. It struck under the bridge. A secondary explosion—it may have been the engines and boilers or coal dust—followed.
Lusitania immediately began listing by the bow. She sank in eighteen minutes. 1,198 people drowned. Lusitania carried contraband—173 tons of rifle ammunition and shells. She sank in about 302 feet of water. The wreck has been visited many times. The magazine was intact.
In the chart for her maiden voyage, Lusitania has a stellium in Virgo [Sun, Moon, Mercury and Venus all with five degrees (8-13). That grouping is “trined” by a conjunction of Mars and Uranus in Capricorn at 12 and 8 degrees. The Mars/Uranus conjunction is opposed by Neptune at Cancer 14.
What does this mean? With a Mars/Uranus conjunction, danger, speed, and innovation have an allure. (www.astrology.com/aspects) The opposition of Neptune–the God of the sea–will greatly increase the likelihood of mishap. With the opposition the involved planets are at loggerheads. Things just do not work right. The opposition will make things taut.
I could not find a beginning time for her first voyage so I used 11 a.m. It seemed to fit. Sagittarius rises with Neptune in the 8th House of Death. Saturn is in the 4th of beginning and endings.
Let us now review the progressed chart of Lusitania. The progressed Moon squares both the natal and progressed Suns. Progressed Moon is also square natal and progressed Mercury and Venus.
A bad aspect from Moon to Sun is “separative in nature [and] may bring about a parting through death, misunderstanding or unfortunate circumstance.” (Milburn, The Progressed Horoscope Simplified, p. 79)
When under an adverse aspect between Moon and Mercury, “care should be observed.” “It will be an unsatisfactory time to start journeys.” “With those who are high strung it goes much harder.” (Milburn, p. 80) My impression of Lusitania’s chart was that of a racehorse chomping at the bit.”
An adverse aspect between Moon and Venus indicates difficulties with feelings in a natal chart and probably diplomacy when it involves two nations. Here Germany had specifically warned the U.S. not to travel in its restricted zone.
Transiting Mars is square natal and progressed Neptune. “This is of a more or less violent nature, causing accidents, harm to the native through others, assaults, treachery and so forth.” (152)
All in all, Germany’s warning to not travel through her restricted zone should have been heeded. Had the voyage been considered a necessity, Lusitania should have made this part of the trip under cover of darkness and in complete blackout.
Titanic
The White Star Liner Titanic was built partially as a competitive response to Cunard’s Lusitania. She was almost 883 feet long and weighed 46, 328 tons.
The salient facts are well- known. On April 14, 1912, she hit an iceberg and sank.
Not so well publicized was the fact that the ship was held together by 2.000 hull plates. These were about 6 feet wide, 30 feet long, and weighed between 2.5 and 3 tons. The plates were riveted together either by hand or by hydraulic machines. Welding was in its infancy.
When Titanic hit the side of the iceberg, the rivets most probably popped partially out, letting in seawater. Those in first class felt nary a thing while in third water immediately began entering. Had Titanic hit the iceberg head on, the result might have been different, for not as many watertight compartments would have been breached.
Titanic did not carry nearly enough lifeboats. She was travelling too fast. Icebergs had drifted a bit farther south, and Captain Smith was warned of them. He plunged ahead.
At 11:40 p.m. on April 14, the iceberg was spotted, the ship tried to steer around it but failed to do so. Titanic struck it on her starboard side.
Titanic was 317 miles from Newfoundland when she sank. I used that point to create her transit (death) chart. Sun and Mercury were at 24/25 Aries. Both were square Neptune at 21 Cancer. They are in the 4th House of beginnings and endings. The Neptune square “bring chaos into the life.” Mental confusion is present. (Milburn, The Progressed Horoscope Simplified, p. 96 (1928).) With the adverse Mercury/Neptune aspect, “It makes an unfavorable time to travel, especially on the sea…” (p. 111)
Also noteworthy is unpredictable, erratic Uranus in the First House of Self. Here she brings “unexpected changes of an unfavorable nature.” (124)
The Moon is in Pisces in the 3rd House of transportation. She is square Pluto in Gemini. This indicates difficulties in communication and with emotions. Venus is also square Mars. This too indicates emotions which are out of hand.
Andrea Doria
The Italian liner Andrea Doria was built for luxury and safety. She began her maiden voyage on January 14, 1953, from Genoa and arrived in NYC on the twenty-third. Andrea Doria had been likened to an art gallery because of her many paintings, tapestries, and murals and perhaps her three swimming pools. Her hull was divided into eleven watertight compartments. Andrea Doria was 697 feet long, and weighed 29,100 tons. On July 25, 1956, she entered the heavily traversed sea lanes frequented by vessels entering the United States.
Just before noon on the same day, Stockholm, a Swedish liner with a reinforced bow to make her way through Artic ice, left New York City. It was quite foggy as the ships headed toward each other. Because of radar each vessel was aware of the other; however, there positions and courses were misinterpreted.
In the minutes before the fatal collision, each vessel attempted to make an adjustment. The maneuvers actually brought the ships together. At around 11:10 p.m. the two ships collided at an almost 90-degree angle. Stockholm’s bow pierced the starboard side of Andrea Doria at a point about one third her length. She immediately began to list to starboard. A distress signal was immediately sent. 1,663 passengers and crew were rescued. 10 hours after the collision, Andrea Doria capsized and sank. 51 people lost their lives. Andrea Doria lies in 240 feet of water at a point almost due east of New York City.
Noteworthy in the chart for Andrea Doria’s maiden voyage is a T-square between Neptune at the apex in Libra 23d 52m, Uranus at 16d 10m Cancer, and the Capricorn Sun at 23d 58m. Neptune and Saturn are conjoined, and Saturn is square the Sun.
A T-square is an aspect pattern of tension. It has been compared to trying to balance oneself on a three-legged stool. With Neptune it seemingly indicates confusion in decision making.
The progressed Sun square Neptune brings chaos into the life. “It’s hard to see clearly what the best thing is to do.” (Milburn, The Progressed Horoscope Simplified, p. 96)
With progressed Sun square Saturn, “nothing will go right,” and “very much greater care will be required.” (93)
Mercury is opposed to Uranus in the natal and progressed charts. This tends to make actions erratic and uncertain. (110)
In the charts for the transits, Sun, Mercury, and Uranus are all conjoined in Leo. This may have increased the likelihood of erratic decision making.
Transiting Jupiter is opposed to natal Mars. This is one more indicia of poor judgment.
An inquiry into the disaster found both ships to be at fault. Andrea Doria, for her part, had not followed the rule when two vessels approach each other head on, both turn to the right. Stockholm was navigating in an area designated for ships heading to port and not going toward the ocean. To sum it all up, multiple human errors caused a calamity exacerbated by fog.
Conclusion
Casting a chart for the maiden voyage of a vessel is recommended. In this way adverse aspects of the malefics (Neptune*, Mars, Uranus, Pluto, and Saturn) to the Sun, Moon, and each other could be avoided. Detrimental House placements could be shunned. Transit charts are also suggested to ensure the pleasant and also to avoid lining up poor positions where possible.
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*Neptune is usually portrayed as a doubtful benefic.
Sources
General Reading: Into the Deep by Robert Ballard (2021)
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, articles on Lusitania, Titanic, and Andrea Doria.
The Progressed Horoscope Simplified by Leigh Hope Milburn, 1928.