The Ridgecrest Earthquake

Earthquakes are fairly common in California. There are numerous faults running through the state. However, they are usually quite small in terms of intensity. But, the South Central part of the state has experienced a major earthquake on July 5, 2019 - 7.1 on the richter scale. There was a foreshock on July 4, 2019 that registered 6.4 on the richter scale in the same area. I looked at the chart of the first quake, and it did not look like the main event to me. And, I was right. The main event occurred the following night at 8:19 PM local time. The nearest town to the epicenter is Ridgecrest, California. Several fires broke out and five people were injured after the mainshock. Highway 178 was closed to traffic as a result of cracks in the road and rockslides. 

As is usually the case, inner planets (usually the Sun or Mars) were stimulating one or more eclipses at the time. In this case, the Sun was stimulating the January 5, 2019 solar eclipse in Capricorn by opposition. In addition, we had just had another solar eclipse in Cancer on July 2, 2019. The chart for the July 5 event is below. Mercury and Mars close to conjunction symbolize the fires that broke out. And, Mercury/Mars were in a square aspect to Uranus, which was conjunct the IC in the chart. Saturn and Pluto are conjunct the Ascendant. The Sun and the lunar node are in opposition to Saturn and Pluto and on the Descendant.

Ridgecrest was incorporated on November 29, 1963. On that date, the lunar node was at eleven degrees and thirty-six minutes Cancer. Mercury and Mars are conjunct and squaring Pluto in the chart.