On the morning of April 2, 2012, 43-year-old One L. Goh entered the campus of Oikos University, a Korean Christian college in Oakland, California, and opened fire with a semi-automatic handgun. Goh, a South Korean native and naturalized US citizen, had been expelled from the college the previous autumn, and was disgruntled by the loss of tuition fees and the teasing he had allegedly endured due to his poor command of English. Goh shot ten, killing seven, making the tragedy the third-deadliest university shooting in the US.
Oakland police chief Howard Jordan stated that Goh returned to the Oikos campus with the intent of killing a female administrator whom he took to be responsible for his loss of tuition. Finding she was out for the day, he entered a nursing classroom and ordered the students to line up against the wall, allegedly saying, “Get in line … I am going to kill you all!” before he opened fire, at approximately 10:30 AM PDT.
An astrological chart cast for this time in Oakland, California shows a 29 Aquarius Midheaven, conjunct a Black Hole at 28 Aquarius, with Neptune at 2 Pisces as the most elevated point, and Chiron at 7 Pisces still within orb. The Black Hole signifies a dramatic, sudden shift in realities, something unexpected and irreversible, and the conjunction with the MC guarantees a high public profile for the moment. Astrologically, Neptune rules victims and martyrs (and has implications for nursing with its Twelfth House rulership), while Chiron indicates wounding and unintended death, in the sense that the victim is not the original target of or motivation for the attack. Also conjunct the MC is asteroid Damocles at 22 Aquarius, the doom hanging unseen overhead. Mars, ruling violence in general and deadly force in particular, falls at 4 Virgo retrograde, on the IC and opposed Neptune/Chiron.
The 21 Gemini Ascendant is conjoined by asteroid Apophis, named for the ancient Egyptian personification of pure evil, at 25 Gemini, itself conjunct a spotlighting Quasar at 26 Gemini, another indicator of an event with a high public profile and notoriety. Quasars are among the brightest objects in the universe, and illuminate or highlight whatever they touch, letting setting a beacon on a hilltop.
On the Descendant side of the horizontal axis lies asteroid Nemesis at 22 Sagittarius and TNO Ixion at 19 Sagittarius, indicating retributive or vengeful (Nemesis) murder (Ixion, named for the first murderer in Greek myth). Nemesis/Ixion lies in square to Mercury, ruling students, about to station direct at 23 Pisces.
Two other conjunctions speak to the tragedy; Uranus at 5 Aries combines with asteroid Atropos at 7 Aries, named for the Greek Fate who severs the thread of life at death, together marking a sudden, violent death. And the Sun at 13 Aries is conjunct asteroid Tantalus at 14 Aries, named for a mythic Greek king noted for a heinous murder of a child, focusing our attention (Sun) to an unspeakable act (Tantalus).
A host of minor bodies fills in the details of the incident. The venue for the murders is most closely represented astrologically by asteroid California, which at 26 Libra is conjoined Saturn, ancient lord of death, at 27 Libra, both opposed TNO Eris at 21 Aries, representing disaffected, disgruntled or fractious energies and emotions, such as prompted Goh to his shooting spree. Asteroid Lachesis, named for the Greek Fate who determines the span of life, at 27 Pisces is conjunct Mercury (students) and exactly inconjunct to Saturn. Asteroid Requiem, the funeral mass for the dead, at 21 Scorpio is exactly inconjunct the Ascendant and tightly squared Damocles.
Four of the six dead have asteroid referents for their names, and all figure prominently in the day’s sky. Doris Chibuko is represented by asteroid Doris (#48), which at 1 Taurus is opposed Saturn/California and sextile Neptune, identifying her as a victim. Judith Seymour is represented by asteroid Judith (#664), which at 11 Taurus conjoins Jupiter (ruling universities) at 13 Taurus, and forms a loose Grand Trine with both Mars at 4 Virgo and Pluto (modern ruler of death) at 9 Capricorn. Lydia Sim is represented by asteroid Lydia (#110) at 23 Pisces, exactly conjunct Mercury, within orb of Lachesis, and broadly inconjunct Saturn. These three were students; the fourth victim was an administrative assistant variously identified in press reports as “Katleen” or “Kathleen” Ping. Asteroid Kathleen (#3754) represents either, and at 22 Aquarius falls exactly conjunct Damocles, exactly sextile Nemesis, and trine to Saturn.
Shooter One L. Goh was born 18 November 1968. A rare triple conjunction of Jupiter, Uranus and Mars at 0, 2 and 5 Libra prefigures this destiny, combining a university setting (Jupiter) with shooting and feelings of alienation (both Uranus), attacks and violent death (both Mars). Natal Mars at the time of the murders was exactly opposed by transit Uranus at 5 Aries, which has been crisscrossing this inimical combination for more than a year.
Although all points are not within orb of each other, Goh’s nativity sports an extensive line-up of Scorpio placements, made all the more potent by their residence in the sign ruling death. TNO Ixion begins the parade at 3 Scorpio, from where it conjoins a Quasar at 4 Scorpio, indicating notoriety or public attention and visibility relating to murder. This is followed by asteroid Apophis at 9 Scorpio, exactly squared a Black Hole at 9 Leo, suggestive of an altered reality involving an act of pure evil. Apophis lies within orb of Mercury (ruling students) at 15 Scorpio, itself conjunct a Pulsar at 14 Scorpio, an anomaly related to information which indicates a newsworthy quality and intense media involvement.
Also within orb of Mercury is asteroid Tantalus at 17 Scorpio, reiterating the theme of horrible acts perpetrated against students or young people. Finishing the procession is an exact conjunction of the Sun with Neptune at 26 Scorpio, which exactly opposes a Maser at 26 Taurus, a deep space anomaly representing extreme volatility and violent reactions. Sun/Neptune is also reflective both of the religious nature of Oikos University where the shootings occurred as well as the nursing program, which Goh had also been enrolled in.
Goh’s natal Nemesis, representing acts of retribution, which seemingly formed the basis of Goh’s intent, lies at 9 Cancer, and was exactly opposed by a stationing Pluto from 9 Capricorn at the time of the shooting. Natally Nemesis was exactly trined by Apophis, which is therefore in exact sextile to transit Pluto for the murders. Pluto’s prior station, in September 2011, fell at 4 Capricorn, exactly on Goh’s natal Venus, ruling women, and six of Goh’s victims were women. The only male he killed, Bhutia Tshering, was an afterthought, shot by Goh in the parking lot afterward so he could appropriate his car for the getaway. Natally Venus is conjoined by asteroid Icarus at 6 Capricorn, indicating the potential for rash or reckless acts involving females, and these points natally square the Jupiter/Uranus/Mars conjunction, and thus were squared by transit Uranus at the shooting.
Goh’s natal Sun/Neptune forms the Apex of a Yod, or Finger of Destiny, with natal asteroids Doris and Kathleen at 28 Gemini and 27 Aries, indicating some fated, predestined link with these victims. Moreover, Kathleen lies exactly on a Black Hole, and Doris is exactly squared another, indicating the dramatic reversal in their circumstances which Goh would create.
Astrologically, sun/Neptune is also involved in an out-of-sign square with natal asteroid Lydia at 2 Virgo (which transit Mars conjoined from 4 Virgo for the shooting), while natal asteroid Judith at 16 Virgo is tightly sextile natal Mercury/Tantalus and within orb of natal Pluto at 24 Virgo, which is more tightly squared Doris. Judith exactly opposes the Black Hole at 16 Pisces, while Lydia is tightly squared a Black Hole at 3 Sagittarius.
Yet another tragic act of senseless gun violence in an American university, and yet another transit sky perfectly poised to tell the tale.
Alex Miller is a professional writer and astrologer, whose website AlexAsteroidAstrology.com offers a trove of info on the role of asteroids in personal and mundane astrology. He is the author of The Black Hole Book (available on Amazon.com) and The Urban Wicca, former editor of “The Galactic Calendar,” and past president of The Philadelphia Astrological Society. His pioneering work with Black Holes in astrological interpretation began in 1991, when his progressed Sun unwittingly fell into one. Alex’s books and writings are available on his website. Alex can also be reached for comment or services at .
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