One of my favorite books is I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to be Destroyed by Me: Emblems from the Pentagon’s Black World by geographer Trevor Paglen. (Source) The book is a concise but very thought provoking compendium of occult symbols used within the world of classified military projects and recently received a very favorable review from the New York Times:

The book offers a glimpse of this dark world through a revealing lens: patches, the kind worn on military uniforms. “It’s a fresh approach to secret government,” Steven Aftergood, a security expert at the Federation of American Scientists in Washington, said in an interview. “It shows that these secret programs have their own culture, vocabulary and even sense of humor.”

Being an astrologer I decided to look up the charts for the organizations and units thought to be associated with some of the patches.

Virgo Sun, Libra Moon: “The Reconnaiter”

These patches are all from operations carried out by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Using its establishment date as its date of birth, the NRO is a Virgo Sun, Libra Moon. (Chart) Located in Virginia, the NRO “designs, builds, and operates the spy satellites of the United States government.” (Source)

According to astrologers Suzi and Charles Harvey the Virgo/Libra pairing has “great powers of observation . . . but finds the whole sphere of relating to warm blooded humans a bit messy.” (Source) In each of the NRO patches, for instance, it’s hard to imagine the cold blooded snakes or scaly dragons doing much normal relating to warm blooded humans. From their vantage points high up above the earth they will, however, be able to make wonderfully accurate observations.

Virgo/Libras are typically very courteous to others. To illustrate: the satellites symbolized in the NRO patches are courteous enough not to intrude upon the day-to-day activities of earthlings even as they catalog our every move with total precision.

Some individuals of more conspiratorial persuasions have speculated that it’s the NRO who monitors UFOs as they enter and leave Earth’s atmosphere. (Source) If true that’s an awful strange coincidence because based on its premier date Fox’s bizarre yet strangely entertaining 1995 Alien Autopsy special is also a Virgo Sun, Libra Moon. (Chart) According to the Harveys, the Virgo/Libra combination is sometimes a bit of snob who “can forget simply how to be human”. (Source) Yeah, I’d say so:

Virgo/Libra excels at accurate analysis (Virgo) of “the other” (Libra), whether that “other” is a geopolitical rival from across the globe, a romantic partner from across the dinner table, or a space alien from across the galaxy. Reverend Jeremiah Wright, for instance, is a Virgo Sun, Libra Moon. (Chart) His analysis of Bill Clinton’s time in office (“he did us just like he did Monica Lewinsky, he was ridin’ dirty”) is as dead on accurate as the high resolution surveillance photos the NRO might be taking of you at this very moment.

Scorpio Sun, Pisces Moon: “That Which Casts No Shadows”

This patch comes from the “Advanced Technology Observatory Platform” or “ATOP” for short. The latin phrase at the bottom of the patch translates as “Vigilance Through Stealth”. Not much else is known about the project other than the date of its first flight which is enough to let us know it most likely it’s a Scorpio Sun, Pisces Moon. (Chart) Combine the secretive nature of a Scorpio Sun with the mystical instincts of a Pisces Moon and you get a Sun/Moon pairing that is imaginative, mysterious and deeply in tune with all that is hidden. Since we’re dealing with a Scorpio/Pisces we know that what’s not shown in the patch is going to be more important than what is shown:

Jefferson Anderson calls Scorpio/Pisces the Sun/Moon pairing “The Sponge” whose ability to absorb energy from the environment “allows it take on the color of its surroundings like a chameleon”. (Source) According to Linda Goodman this combination of signs is associated with deeply subtle, very covert forms of movement. When paired together they take on “an other-worldly ability to navigate the invisible realms that connect people on psychic levels” she writes in her book Love Signs. (Source)

It’s unlikely that ATOP has anything to do with the invisible realms of the psychic world, at least not on the literal level. It may, however, have something to do with technology that absorbs light from the surrounding environment in order to produce optical invisibility, not unlike what a chameleon does. In other words, a cloaking device. At least that’s what some informed observers such as Mark Pilkington, author of Mirage Men: An Adventure into Paranoia, Espionage, Psychological Warfare, and UFOs seem to think it might be. As Pilkington explains in his 2010 article on the mystery of ATOP patch, “today’s radar-evading drones are carefully optimised to blend in with the sky and to avoid casting shadows.” (Source)

Strange coincidence: Marie Curie is a Scorpio Sun, Pisces Moon. (Chart) She won a Nobel prize for her pioneering work with radiation, an “entity” which also casts no shadows.

Gemini Sun, Capricorn Moon: “The Cold Hearted Mathematicians”

This patch is from the 4451st Test Squadron, a highly classified unit originally known as “the Grim Reapers.” (Source) When existence of the unit was publicly acknowledged in the late 1980s they became know as the more family friendly sounding “Ghost Riders.” The imagery on the patch, while loaded with occult symbolism, doesn’t leave too much to the imagination about the nature of the unit’s work:

The Grim Reapers were the first unit to test the F-117 Nighthawk, the triangularly shaped stealth fighter that Americans became familiar with via CNN’s coverage of Operation Desert Storm. Using the date of the F-117’s first flight as its date of birth it’s a Gemini Sun, Capricorn Moon. (Source) Gemini is the fast moving, highly flexible, fiber optic wired communicator of the zodiac. Capricorn is the hard-assed, hard-working, hoof-busting strategist of the zodiac. Pair the mental agility of a Gemini Sun with the strategic instincts of a Capricorn Moon and you get a Sun/Moon pairing that sees the entire world as a chess board.

If you can imagine a butterfly (Gemini) genetically engineered to have both the backbone and the ruthlessness of a Mountain Goat (Capricorn) you’ll have a sense for this pairing’s basic modus operandi.

You’ll often find this pairing working in experimental physics, engineering, or other technologically advanced fields which require equal parts mental dexterity (Gemini) and back breaking hours of hard work (Capricorn). Astrologer Linda Goodman says that when Gemini and Capricorn meet up it’s usually for “. . . a reason relating to mystery, sex, death, hypnosis, psychiatry or some bending of the mind.” (Source) The F-117 of course doesn’t bend minds, hypnotize people, or mysteriously alter the laws of physics. Its stealth technology does, however, bend radar signatures thereby (metaphorically) hypnotizing its opponents’ computer tracking systems. And it does so using methods so mysteriously advanced they would seem like magic to previous generations.

Of course what keeps the F-117 aloft isn’t magic but cold hearted math.

Strange coincidence: Using its release date as its date of birth the 1987 film Predator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is a Gemini Sun, Capricorn Moon. (Chart)

In the film a special forces unit led by Arnold is oblivious to the fact they’re being tracked by a technologically advanced extraterrestrial who can follow them while remaining invisible. In other words, the creature uses stealth technology to stalk and kill its prey in much the same way the F-117 uses stealth technology to stalk and kill its prey.

Scorpio Sun, Gemini Moon: “The Men in Black”

This patch comes from the Air Force “Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities” (TENCAP) which appears to be a unit inside what used to be known as the “Space Warfare Center” (SWC). (Source) The exact activation date for TENCAP is unavailable but the SWC was activated November 1st, 1993. (Source) This makes it a Scorpio Sun, Gemini Moon. (Chart) Scorpio is the covert operative who knows where the bodies are buried, Gemini is quick thinking communicator who knows where the phone lines are buried. Combine the Sun in the sign of keeping secrets with the Moon in the sign of mental agility and you get a Sun/Moon pairing that excels at figuring out ingenius ways to both find and hide information. Astrologer Carolyn Reynolds says this pairing “will know all the neighbors’ business . . . even though they will have little knowledge about yours”. (Source) No joke about the “neighbors” thing:

The Harveys call this the pairing of “the village gossip who takes their secrets to the grave”. (Source) What if the “village” in question includes neighborhoods above and beyond those down here on terra firma? It’s an apt question because if there was ever a Sun/Moon pairing that would excel at hiding their “neighbors” in plain sight ala Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in the film Men in Black it’s Scorpio/Gemini.

Strange Coincidence: Levi Coffin, a 19th century businessman whose Ohio home was considered the “Grand Central Station” of the Underground Railroad, is a Scorpio Sun, Gemini Moon. (Chart)

It’s estimated that Coffin and his wife Catherine assisted 2,000 fugitive slaves over the course of 30 years, often employing incredibly innovative methods that were the 19th century equivalent of technology from the future. You could say they were the original “Men in Black”.

Cancer Sun, Virgo Moon: “The Excellence of Experimentation”

These patches all come from projects or units associated with Area 51. The on patch upper left comes from “The Ghost Squadron”, a unit who (supposedly) fix the actual “black helicopters” we’ve heard so much about. The latin on the patch translates as “A Secret Squadron . . . From Deep in the Night . . . Don’t Ask Any Questions.” The patch on the upper right comes “a test squadron for classified prototype aircraft and advanced concept technology demonstrators” according to Paglen. (Source) Nobody’s been able to figure what the bottom two patches pertain to exactly although there’s been wild speculation on the net that the “Green Door” one has something to do with rooms in which “trans-dimensional portals” are kept locked away. More likely it’s related to military intelligence:

The establishment date for Area 51 is a bit hard to pin down but after doing a good deal of research my best guess is it was “open for business” on July 22nd, 1955. This makes it a Cancer Sun, Virgo Moon. (Chart) Cancer is the homebody of the zodiac who likes to stay fortified from the outside world while Virgo is the precision oriented analyst known for being obsessive about their work. According to astrologer Bill Tierney the textbook Cancer/Virgo is “keenly attentive to details” and excels at “keeping everything well-maintained”. (Source) Area 51 was originally established by the CIA as a fortified base (Cancer) to perform detailed maintenance (Virgo) on its U-2 spy plane.

Author and productivity guru Tim Ferriss is a Cancer/Virgo. (Chart) Ferriss has built up a huge cult following by performing medical experiments on himself as futuristic, freaky, and in some cases as frightening as anything that goes on at Area 51. Stem cell injections, blood letting, brain wave analysis, “polyphasic” sleep experiments, exotic smart drugs imported from European pharmacies, etc. it’s all in day’s work for Ferriss. A 2010 article in Wired Magazine referred to him as a “self-made lab rat”. (Source) Here, for instance, is a talk he gave at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival on what he calls “Hacking the Human Body”:

If you’ve ever listened to late night talk radio you know that Area 51 is considered home (Cancer Sun) to medical and technical experiments (Virgo Moon). Something similar can probably said about what happens at Tim Ferriss’ place.

Virgo Sun, Aquarius Moon: “The United Federation of Superfreaks”

This patch comes from Air Force Space Command (AFSC). Using AFSC’s activation date as its date of birth it’s a Virgo Sun, Aquarius Moon. (Chart) This is the zodiac’s far-out and far-reaching, kinky freak-show combination albeit one that really excels at technologically advanced forms of forensic research. Cancer/Virgo may enjoy strange health experiments but with Virgo/Aquarius you never know just what (or who) they’re going to bring to the party. For starters they’ll often have friends or colleagues from social backgrounds radically different than their own. In the AFSC patch, for instance, you Star Trek fans will notice that the emblem in the center bears a striking resemblance to the emblem for the United Federation of Planets:

As far as Star Trek type technology goes, if anybody ever invents a zero-point powered orgasmatron that allows you to anonymously exchange genetic databases with residents of Zeta Reticuli it will probably be a Virgo/Aquarius, or whatever the equivalent of a Virgo/Aquarius is in different galaxies where they use different astrological symbols. It’s doubtful AFSC is researching anything quite that exotic but if their Wikipedia entry is any indicator they are involved in developing extremely advanced technology. (Source) Astrologer Carolyn Reynolds says this pairing makes for an “innovative, imaginative, and unpredictable individual” who can develop a near psychic level of rapport with computer hardware. (Source) Who knows, maybe AFSC is working on brain/computer interface technology that allows people to navigate satellites or spacecraft with nothing more than their thoughts. DARPA is already working on similar technology so it’s not totally inconceivable. (Source)

Wild Speculation: They could be working to thwart (or manage?) an alien invasion, to make time travel possible, or maybe on sh-t so disturbingly freaky that words simply won’t do it justice. H.G. Wells, the science fiction author who wrote The War of the Worlds (about an alien invasion), The Time Machine (about time travel), and The Island of Dr. Moreau (about disturbingly freaky stuff) is a Virgo Sun, Aquarius Moon. (Chart)

Strange Coincidence #1 John McAfee, the creator of the anti-virus software that bears his name, is a Virgo/Aquarius. (Chart) His anti-virus software may not be as advanced as whatever’s going on at AFSC but it was decades ahead of its time when originally released. He sold his company in the 1980s and moved to the jungles of Belize where he’s poured much of his fortune into finding a herbal medicines. (Source) According to a 2012 Huffington Post article, McAffe claims he’s also been involved in a massive spying operation the last few years while on the run from the South American authorities. (Source) Whether that’s true or not, what is obvious is that for McAfee — like many Virgo/Aquarians — all the money in the world isn’t worth much compared to a life of constant experimentation and excitement.

Strange Coincidence #2: Using the date the first “Burning Man” was held in Black Rock City as the annual event’s date of birth, it too is a Virgo Sun, Aquarius Moon. (Chart) For those who aren’t familiar with Burning Man it’s a free-expression free-for-all festa-palooza held every year in the desert of Nevada where people shed their normal identities for experimental realities more in tune with their unicorn like true selves.

According to the Harveys, a metaphoric image for Virgo Sun, Aquarius Moon is “Aliens land and embark on building a new and improved world order”. (Source) That happens to be a great approximation of the AFSC as it seems they utilize assets in outer space to conduct missions down here on earth which ultimately aim to maintain the “world order”. It’s also a pretty good approximation of “Burning Man” participants. After all, if a caravan of “Burners” ever passed you on the highway you might wonder if space aliens in a UFO just did a flyby, albeit ones more likely to be equipped with wildly decorative boas and avant garde ideas than armed with mind controlled death rays and bad intentions.

Aries Sun, Scorpio Moon: “The Lord of Darkness”

This patch is from the 22nd Military Airlift Squadron. According to Paglen, “part of their mission was to conduct late night operations picking up classified aircraft from aerospace plants in Southern California and delivering them to classified locations.” (Source) Using the 22nd’s establishment date as its date of birth it is an Aries Sun, Scorpio Moon. (Chart) This is one of the darkest, most dangerous, most intensely private Sun/Moon pairings. Astrologer Carolyn Reynolds writes of the Aries/Scopio pairing, “You will never guess what is going on inside this person” while Jefferson Anderson says the textbook Aries/Scorpio is a “very aggressive, extremely independent individual” who struggles to “hold back their belligerence”. (Source) The letters at the bottom 22d’s patch stand for “None of Your Fucking Business”, denoting a belligerent, intensely private life philosophy that will resonate with many Aries/Scorpios.

Strange Coincidence #1: Using its premier date as its date of birth, the 1992 crime thriller Deep Cover is an Aries Sun, Scorpio Moon. (Chart) The film includes an array of themes close to the heart of any Aries Sun, Scorpio Moon native: shadowy underworlds, double crossing double agents, an atmosphere equal parts paranoia and primordial belligerence, all mixed in with loads of aggressive physical action. The film received mixed reviews but is widely remembered for its distinctive theme song “187 on an Undercover Cop”, which was rapper Snoop Dog’s first big break:

Strange coincidence #2: Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is an Aries/Scorpio. (Chart) It’s highly unlikely she got that high up in the viper’s pit that is Washington D.C. without “doing some shit deep cover on the incognito tip” to quote a line from the Deep Cover theme.

In the above video, for instance, Pelosi tells a reporter she “knows something” about Newt Gingrich that makes it impossible for him to ever be president. She won’t say what it is she knows because, as her demeanor makes clear, what she knows is none of our business.

Sagittarius Sun, Capricorn Moon: “Sir Jest-A-Lot”

This patch comes from the 509th Operations Group, a unit that services B-2 stealth bombers. Back in 1947 the 509th was responsible for cleaning up the “weather balloon” that famously crashed outside Roswell, New Mexico. Using its activation date as its date of birth the 509th is a Sagittarius Sun, Capricorn Moon. (Chart) Sagittarius is the most wildly spirited sign of the zodiac while Capricorn is the sign most realistic about the harsh nature of life on the earthly plain. Pair the boisterousness of a Sagittarius Sun with the instincts for organization of a Capricorn Moon and you get a Sun/Moon pairing that will sing songs, tell stories, and crack jokes (Sagittarius) all while keeping its feet on the ground and nose to the grindstone (Capricorn).

Capricorn/Sagittarius is renown for its sense of humor. Jefferson Anderson calls this pairing of “the Comic” whose “incisive remarks always hit home, though they usually emphasize the darker side of life.” (Source) Of all the patches in Paglen’s book, the 509 patch is definitely the funniest. For starters the presence of the grey alien munching on the stealth bomber is a nod to the lore surrounding the unit as the guys who cleaned up the most famous UFO incident in history. The phrase “To Serve Man” is a reference to a classic Twilight Zone episode where aliens have come to Earth to serve man . . . as tasty dinnertime treats. The latin phrase at the bottom of the patch translates as “Tastes Like Chicken”.

Strange Coincidence #1: science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke is a Sagittarius/Capricorn. (Chart) Like the 509th, his public persona is associated with space aliens. Describing his work Clarke once said, “My main themes are exploration of the position of Man in the hierarchy of the universe, and the effect of contact with other intelligences.”

Strange Coincidence #2: Ozzie Osbourne is a Sagittarius Sun, Capricorn Moon. (Chart) So far as we know he’s never munched on a grey alien or stealth bomber but he did once eat a live bat on stage.

Scorpio Sun, Virgo Moon: “The Private Eyes”

This patch comes from the 23rd Space Operations Squadron (“23rd SOPS”). Using its activation date as its date of birth the 23rd SOPS is a Scorpio Sun, Virgo Moon. (Chart) Scorpio is the deep cover agent while Virgo is the anonymous analyst of the zodiac. Scorpio excels at all matters of a clandestine nature while Virgo excels at mentally intense forms forensic research. Pair the two together and you get a Sun/Moon pairing that possesses tremendous powers of discernment, with darn near X-Ray vision. Bill Tierney writes, “. . . this combo is unbeatable at detective work, whether in trying to solve a crime, uncover a mystery of science, or probe deeply into a troubled psyche”. (Chart) It also tends to have a darkly ironic, often disturbing, sense of humor as the patch for 23rd SOPS demonstrates. Paglen writes, “If you look closely at the contour of the black face, you’ll see another face, with pointy nose and pointy ears, looking left. Who is this creepier dude within an already creepy dude? And what’s up with all the layers of creepy?” (Source)

As far as what the 23rd SOPS does, it has something to do with operating a “a Defense Satellite Communications System Heavy Earth Terminal, Source-B antenna . . .” according to the unit’s official fact sheet. I’m not sure what that means in plain English and given the uber-creepy nature of the unit’s patch maybe I don’t want to know. Whatever it means, I’m sure “They” definitely don’t want people asking too many questions. As astrologer Grant Lewi writes of the typical Scorpio/Virgo, “You hate to have people prying into your affairs and resist any attempt to ferret out your private life . . . you love to listen to gossip and even pass it on – not always with kindly intent”. (Source)

Strange Coincidence #1: Using its premier date as its date of birth, John Carpenter’s 1987 cult film They Live is a Scorpio Sun, Virgo Moon. (Chart) The film stars Rowdy Rowdy Piper as a displaced construction worker who discovers a pair of black sunglasses that allow him to see the world as it truly is. What he finds out is that, much like the face hidden within the face in the 23rd SOPS patch, there are multiple, unseen layers of reality to the everyday world around him (us?). If you’ve never seen the film you owe it to yourself to watch this clip. It’s clearly fiction but feels too close to real for comfort:

Jefferson Anderson writes of Scorpio/Virgo investigative prowess, “Your sensitivity enables you to perceive things that others won’t or can’t. You form conclusions about life that are startlingly accurate.” (Source) Fortunately They Live is just a film so there’s no need to wonder if there might be some accuracy to its startling conclusions about how life in the 21st century really works.

Strange Coincidence #2: Nobel prize winning physicist Patrick Blackett is a Scorpio Sun, Virgo Moon. (Chart) His work on radar defense systems in the lead up to World War II enabled the Royal Air Force to identify bombers from the Nazi Luftwaffe in much the same way Piper’s mysterious black sunglasses enable him to identify extraterrestrial fascists in They Live.

About the Author: Matt Savinar is a California licensed attorney (State Bar #228957), voluntarily inactive as of June 2013. He can be reached for questions, comments, or astrological consults via Twitter, his first YouTube channel, his second YouTube channel, SoundCloud, LibSyn or this site’s contact page.

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