When Profit Burst the Tank - The Astrology Behind the Great Molasses Flood
On January 15, 1919, a 50-foot-tall tank holding 2.3 million gallons of molasses burst in Boston’s North End, unleashing a 25-foot wave that surged through the streets at 35 mph. The flood killed 21 people and injured 150, trapping victims in the thick syrup and crushing buildings in its path. Rescue efforts were grueling, as the cold weather hardened the molasses, making cleanup nearly impossible. Investigations later revealed the tank was poorly built, rushed to meet wartime demands, exposing the high cost of neglect. The Great Molasses Flood remains one of history’s strangest and deadliest industrial disasters.
This chart captures the dynamics of a public catastrophe rooted in material oversight and structural neglect. The Mars-Uranus conjunction in the 10th house symbolizes the sudden, violent release, while Saturn retrograde in the 4th house reflects aging infrastructure that couldn’t hold up under pressure. Neptune retrograde on the IC speaks to the hidden weaknesses that were ignored, and Pluto retrograde in Cancer emphasizes the devastating consequences of trying to control too much without proper precautions.
This disaster, marked by Taurus rising, reflects how material stability can crumble when structural flaws are left unchecked, leading to an unexpected and destructive outcome that forever alters the landscape.
Taurus Rising: The Material World in Chaos
Taurus Ascendant aligns with the material world, stability, and tangible goods—molasses, being a dense and sticky material, fits the symbolism perfectly. However, this rising was under stressful aspects, showing how what should have been stable infrastructure (the tank) gave way disastrously.
ASC Square Mars-Uranus Conjunction in Aquarius (10th House)
Mars-Uranus represents sudden, violent disruptions and explosions. In Aquarius (a sign connected to the unexpected), this conjunction points to rapid breakdowns in technology or infrastructure.
The square to the Taurus Ascendant suggests that the material world (Taurus) encountered a sudden rupture (Uranus/Mars), unleashing chaos that overwhelmed everything in its path.
Being in the 10th house, the conjunction also indicates that the event had significant public consequences and became an infamous historical incident.
ASC Square Saturn Rx in Leo (4th House)
Saturn retrograde in the 4th house reflects aging, neglected infrastructure (the molasses tank). Saturn rules boundaries, and in retrograde, it suggests something poorly managed or overlooked.
The square to the Ascendant shows that the structure, which should have held things in place, could not withstand pressure, resulting in disaster.
The 4th house represents foundational structures, and with Saturn retrograde and afflicted, the tank's failure reflects a deep weakness in what was supposed to be stable.
Mars-Uranus Opposition to Saturn Rx (10th-4th House Axis)
This opposition signifies a direct clash between stored pressure (Saturn retrograde in the 4th) and sudden rupture (Mars-Uranus in Aquarius in the 10th). The explosive nature of Mars-Uranus in the public 10th house reflects how the event spilled into the streets, leaving destruction visible to the entire city and world.
The 4th house Saturn retrograde symbolizes hidden flaws in foundational infrastructure, and the clash with Mars-Uranus represents the moment those hidden weaknesses were violently exposed.
Venus in Aquarius Opposing Neptune Retrograde (4th House)
The opposition between Venus in Aquarius and Neptune retrograde in Leo reflects the tension between profit-driven motivations and neglected structural concerns. Venus in Aquarius signifies commercial expediency, while Neptune retrograde on the IC reveals hidden flaws in the infrastructure that were ignored until it was too late. This opposition captures the negligence and misjudgment at the heart of the disaster, as decisions were made with more focus on meeting demand than on ensuring safety.
Pluto Rx and Jupiter Rx in Cancer, Neptune Rx Conjunct IC
Pluto retrograde in Cancer reflects something building beneath the surface, such as pressure slowly mounting within the molasses tank. Pluto governs hidden forces that erupt suddenly and with force.
Jupiter retrograde suggests the expansion of underlying issues that were ignored until it was too late, amplifying the destructive potential.
Neptune retrograde conjunct the IC symbolizes confusion, illusion, and failure in foundational matters. The Neptune influence aligns with how the molasses—though a sticky material—flooded with the unpredictability of a liquid, creating a chaotic, dreamlike disaster.
The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 highlights how astrological alignments can mirror real-world events. With Taurus rising, the focus was on material stability—storing molasses to meet demand—but the sudden rupture, reflected by Mars and Uranus in Aquarius, unleashed chaos. Hidden flaws, shown by Saturn and Neptune in Leo, revealed how neglect and poor planning can turn profit-driven decisions into disaster. This event serves as a reminder of how astrology can capture the tension between ambition, oversight, and unforeseen consequences.
