New Madrid Earthquakes
By Deborah Pearmain
Quake No 1
2:15 am
New Madrid, Missouri USA
D Pearmain 28 July 2022
The question of the astrology of earthquakes is something astrologers have grappled with for a few thousand years, at least, since Ptolemy. He says “the consideration of those events which concern wholecountries, and are dependent on the greater causes…takes precedence. And, for its due investigation, two essential points are to be attended to: the first is, the appropriate familiarity of the zodiacal signs and the fixed stars with the several regions which may be concerned; and the second comprises the indications occasionally arising in those parts of the heavens where such familiarity is found: for instance, the eclipses of the Sun and Moon, and such transits as may be made by the planets, when matutine, and in their respective stations[i].
The New Madrid Earthquakes consist of a series of three major quakes that began on 11 December 1811 and ended in February 1812. They came out of the blue and occurred in a most unexpected place. They were also among the largest the US has experienced in its recorded history.
This article looks at the astrology behind the first of the New Madrid Quakes – the one that started the ball rolling. On the map below the New Madrid seismic zone can be seen as a large eye-shaped object in the middle of the south-eastern US.
Location of the Earthquake
New Madrid is a small town in the state of Missouri. Although no seismometers existed at the time the first one is estimated to have been within a magnitude range of 7.2 to 8.2. There were many aftershocks and then another one hit in January 1811 and a third hit in February 1812. The third is estimated to have a magnitude of between 7.4 and 8.6 while the second, a magnitude of between 7 and 8. These are very large quakes.
New Madrid is in the Mississippi Valley.The Mississippi river is the second longest in the US. At its widest, the river stretches across eleven miles and is the widest river in the US.Below the Mississippi valley lies a faultthat can shake a geographical area aroundtwenty times larger than earthquakes in California.A 2004 HAZUS report prepared by FEMA, based on a 7.7 earthquake occurring in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, estimates earthquake damages to be $296 billion dollars across the region and nearly 730,000 people displaced from their homes. In Missouri, the report estimates a direct economic loss of $69 billion dollars and nearly 87,000 damaged buildings.[i]
The first quake in 1811was just five days away from the date of the winter solstice. The New Madrid seismic zone is unusual because it does not lie along tectonic plates whose movement is generally the cause of earthquakes.Instead, New Madrid lies in the centre of the North American plate making quakes in this region more destructive.
The Account of the Earthquake
According to the USGS,[i]the New Madrid earthquakes caused the ground to rise and fall – bending the trees until their branches intertwined and opening deep cracks in the ground. Deep seated landslides occurred along the steeper bluffs and hillsides and large areas of land were permanently uplifted.Large areas sank and were covered with water that erupted through fissures or craterlets. Huge waves on the Mississippi River overwhelmed boats and washed some high onto the shore. High banks caved and collapsed into the river, sand bars and points of islands gave way and whole islands disappeared.
The region most seriously affected was characterized by raised or sunken lands, fissures, sinks, sand blows, and large landslides that covered an area of 78,000 – 129,000 square kilometres, extending from Cairo, Illinois, to Memphis, Tennessee, and from Crowley’s Ridge in north-eastern Arkansas to Chickasaw Bluffs, Tennessee. Just one life was lost in falling buildings at New Madrid, but chimneys were toppled and log cabins were thrown down as far distant as Cincinnati, Ohio, St. Louis, Missouri, and in many places in Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee. At the time, the area was sparsely populated, unlike today.
A notable area of subsidence that formed during the February 7, 1812, earthquake is Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee, just east of Tiptonville dome on the down dropped side of the Reelfoot scarp. Subsidence there ranged from 1.5 to 6 meters, although larger amounts were reported.
Other areas subsided by as much as 5 meters, although 1.5 to 2.5 meters was more common. Lake St. Francis, in eastern Arkansas, which was formed by subsidence during both prehistoric and the 1811-1812 earthquakes, is 64 kilometres long by 1 kilometre wide. Coal and sand were ejected from fissures in the swamp land adjacent to the St. Francis River, and the water level is reported to have risen there by 8 to 9 meters.
The USGS says the 1811 quake was felt widely over the entire eastern United States. People were awakened by the shaking in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Charleston, South Carolina. Perceptible ground shaking was in the range of one to three minutes depending upon the observer’s location. The ground motions were described as most alarming and frightening in places like Nashville, Tennessee, and Louisville, Kentucky. In the epicentral area the ground surface was described as in great convulsion with sand and water ejected tens of feet into the air in a process called liquefaction.
Large waves called seiches were generated on the Mississippi River by seismically induced ground motion, deforming the riverbed. Witnesses reported that the river seemed to flow upstream for several hours. An aftershock with an estimated magnitude of 7.0 was felt at 7:15 am later that day.
The 1811 Solar Eclipse
Significantly, there was an annular solar eclipse on 17 September 1811. US President Thomas Jefferson recorded it in his weather journal as it was on Constitution Day. He exchanged letters about it with five notable correspondents over a span of almost a year[i] thereafter.
Chris McCrae in her book Geodetic Astrology says that in determining if an area is earmarked for a special event, the most important astrological information can be obtained from solar eclipses. However, one must also take into account the geography of the area. The likelihood of an earthquake in an area that is not seismically active is very low. She says one can use the sign and degree of the eclipse for a quick scan of the geodetic map to find the most vulnerable area for an event, in this case an earthquake if it is in a volatile seismic area. Observing only the eclipse axis is, however, only useful for a quick scan not for more detailed and accurate work. For this, one needs to look at whole the eclipse chart.In this chart, the eclipse lies on the Virgo-Pisces axis i.e., earth and water.
In the eclipse chart above, destructive Pluto is in the opposite sign of the eclipse but not conjunct the Sun and Moon. It is however conjunct the South Node and directly opposite Venus which rules the chart for the earthquake. Uranus is sitting in the 10th house within 3 degrees of the MC. Mars in Sagittarius is squaring the eclipse with Saturn very close and squaring Pluto. There is effectively a T-square between the eclipse, Pluto and Mars/Saturn.
The Astrological Indicators
The geodetic map shows that New Madrid is between 0 and 1 degree of Capricorn. It is thus ruled by Saturn. Six planets are in close proximity at the bottom of the chart five within 16 degrees of each other in the third house. Ed Tamplin in his article ‘Earthquakes and Astrology’ of 17 January 2021 points out that this confluence of the planets in a single hemisphere of a chart is typical of other earthquake charts he has studied. Pluto, Uranus and Neptune are all in the bottom hemisphere of this chart too. Tamplin notes that the famous Mississippi quakes match the pattern[i].
The first Madrid quake occurred three months later almost to the day. The eclipse was visible across the United States. The Sun was in Virgo, mutable earth, at 24 degrees as was the Moon of course since it was a solar eclipse. The fixed star Alkaid or Benet Nash was closely conjunct the eclipse. In the chart for the eclipse from New Madrid’s perspective, the Sun, Moon and Alkaid are in the 8th house of death.
Although only one death was recorded, some reports state that people went missing because they were swallowed up by the large cracks that appeared in the earth that day. Also, many trees died. The area was very sparsely populated at the time which helped to keep the loss of human life to a minimum. However today the seismic zoneincludes major cities such as Memphis, Tennessee, St. Louis, Missouri, Little Rock, Arkansas and Evansville, Indiana. Every year hundreds of small earthquakes occur in the New Madrid Seismic Zone; however, most are too small to be felt by humans and can only be detected by sensitive instruments[ii].
Alkaid has an influence of a Mars-Uranus-Saturn nature – an unfortunate combination with some nasty surprises. In accordance with adopted belief of ancient times, this fixed star is supposed to be bound up with the realm of the dead and is therefore associated with death and mourning. In an important position in a mundane chart, Alkaid signify deaths in mining accidents, collapse of houses and bridges, mountain slides, earth tremors and weather catastrophes.(https://astrologyking.com/alkaid-star/.) This star, highlighting an eclipse is thereforea distinct warning when considering the possibility of earthquakes.
Astrologically speaking an earthquake, is likely to be evidenced by a confluence of factors, as opposed to just one. Not every eclipse necessarily precedes an earthquake, although it can be a good indicator if there is other testimony in the chart that supports it. The difficulty lies in matching the sky with the relevant geographical location, especially if the fault is not known to science. Faults can also be many miles long which makes pinpointing the exact location even harder. Everyone knows to expect earthquakes along the Pacific Ring of Fire but since it surrounds almost the entire Pacific Ocean it’s hard to say where and when exactly aquake will hit.
Chart for the 1811 New Madrid Earthquake
For the first Mississippi quake, three planetswere in the early degrees of Capricorn. The Moon was at 0 degrees, while Mercury and Venus were conjunct at 8 and 9 degrees respectively. Saturn rules the Moon, Mercury and Venus and the 4th house in which Mars sits in Aquarius. Capricorn is the sign of cardinal Earthi.e., active earth or moving earth.
Malevolent Facies was at around 8 degrees of Capricornconjunct Mercury. It is of the nature of the Sun and Marsand causes blindness, defective sight, sickness, accidents, and a violent death. Brady says itis one of the most difficult, and possibly the most violent, objects in the heavens.
Five planets are in the 3rd house while Mars is in Aquarius in 4th. The Sun and Saturn are at 23 and 28 degrees of Sagittarius in the third house, a wide conjunction and ruled by Jupiter opposite in Cancer.
Their companions in the third house, the Moon Venus and Mercury, are in Capricorn ruled by Saturn. Something big was clearly going to happen. Mars in Aquarius in the 4th house is also ruled by Saturn.
The fixed star Lesath is at 24 degrees of Sagittarius conjunct the Sunas is Shaula, while Etamin is at 27 degrees so conjunct Saturn.Lesath gives danger, desperation, immorality, and malevolence, and is connected with acid poisons.Together with Shaula, it is the sting in Scorpio’s tail. Shaula and Lesath are considered unlucky stars. Ebertin says a configuration with Shaula points to accidents, catastrophes or surgical operations. Robson says it is of the nature of Mercury and Mars and gives danger, desperation, immorality and malevolence.
Procyon is on the Midheaven at25 degrees of Cancer. It is of the nature of Mercury and Mars and gives activity, violence, sudden and malevolent violence, elevation ending in disaster and danger of dog bites. Despite this, it is regarded as a very fortunate star.
Gienah is on the IC at 27 degrees of Aquarius 45’ but from what little is known about it, it does not seem to have been significant to the earthquake. Foramen is on the ASC at 22 degrees of Libra 09’ while Acamar is on the descendant at 23 degrees of Aries. Foramen is of the nature of Saturn and Jupiter and causes peril, dignity, piety, usefulness, acquisitiveness and danger to the eyes. Acamar is a star on the great river Eridanus. It gives danger of drowning and accidents at sea. It certainly draws attention to the effect of this earthquake on the great Mississippi River.
Jupiter is opposite the Moon at 2 degrees of Cancer in the 9th house. The part of Fortune is in the unfortunate 12th house.Jupiter is conjunct Tejat Posterior.Venus is conjunct Nunki.It is of the nature of Jupiter and Mercury. Venus is the ruler of the first house but is placed in Capricorn in the third. Saturn, ruler of the fourth house is also in the third house where a great deal is happening.It is also the ruler of new Madrid according to the geodetic map.
In mundane astrology the third house signifies all forms of transport, communication, river traffic, railways and roads.The earthquake was very disruptive to boats and shipping on the Mississippi River.
The Great Comet
As if all this wasn’t enough,the Great Comet of 1811, called Tecumseh’s comet, was at its brightest in October 1811. It was reportedly visible during the first New Madrid earthquake of 1811. The captain of a steamship called the New Orleans, approaching the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers wrote :”December 18, 1811.—The anniversary of this day the people of Cairo [Illinois] and its vicinity should never forget. It was the coming of the first steamboat to where Cairo now is—the New Orleans, Capt. Roosevelt, Commanding. It was the severest day of the great throes of the New Madrid earthquake; at the same time, a fiery comet was rushing athwart the horizon”.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Comet_of_1811).
[1]https://www.sacred-texts.com/astro/ptb/ptb31.htm
[1]https://dnr.mo.gov/land-geology/hazards/earthquakes/science/facts-new-madrid-seismic-zone
[1]https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/science/summary-1811-1812-new-madrid-earthquakes-sequence
[1]https://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/2017/08/thomas-jefferson-and-the-1811-constitution-day-eclipse/
[1]https://isarastrology.org/ed-tamplin-earthquakes-and-astrology/
[1]https://dnr.mo.gov/land-geology/hazards/earthquakes/science/facts-new-madrid-seismic-zone