Who is Yusuf ibn Ayyūb aka Saladin?
Chances are you know him best as Mohammed Saladin, the most famous Muslim hero of all time. His capture of Jerusalem on October 2, 1187, made him legendary for both sides of the battle: the Christians because they lost the Great City and the Muslims because they regained it. The latter group wanted Jerusalem because it houses the Dome of the Rock, the great monolith where Muslims believe Abraham dreamt he was to go to sacrifice his son Isaac.
The Dome was erected by the Umayyad Dynasty to honor the night the Prophet was miraculously transported there from Mecca. (nearly 1240 kilometers away). Called “Al-Aqṣā Mosque” in Arabic, the epithet is commonly is extended to refer to the entire plaza, not just the Rock or the building themselves.
Thus, Saladin is well known throughout Islamic history, but he is also praised by his opposition, a rarity in itself, the English writers because of his good relationship with King Richard II, aka the Lionheart of England.
This praise stems from the brokering of the Treaty of Ramla (Jaffa). The Treaty was an exception in that it gave something to both sides so they would cease firing. Jerusalem remained in Muslim hands, but Christians were allowed to remain there undisturbed. They could also travel to the Holy Land on pilgrimage and pay the tax.
Christians got the coastline from the city of Tyre (Lebanon) all the way to Jaffa (the modern name of Ramla). While this was not really a treaty either king wanted it . Richard wanted all of Jerusalem free and clear — no restrictions, while Saladin did not want any Christians to stay in the area at all; thus the treaty was a true sacrifice from both sides.
What it did was give Saladin a victory and of course, Jerusalem. The Muslims could manage as they liked with no interference.. King Richard , ,got to save face too, and end his Crusade. This allowed him to return home to deal with his usurping brother, John Lackland.
You can easily see this in the Treaty’s chart where the Moon is in the fourth house opposite the Sun, so it was agreed to under a full moon. That makes sense, as it would imply everything was visible i.e. everything was on the table. The Part of Fortune is directly opposite the ascendant at 27 Gemini 46, showing how both sides had to give up something to get the greater. But it is the Moon and Saturn in intercepted in the eighth house which truly depict this was a cease-fire, as does Venus aligned with the Midheaven — peace and harmony were worth the two leader’s pride.
Saladin himself is a mysteryDo we have a chart for Saladin?
While Saladin’s military exploits are well known, we know little of his personal life. He was born in Tikrit, Iraq, was married and died after a brief illness on March 4, 1193. The crypt at the Umayyad Mosque, Damascus, Dimashq, Syria, does not contain his body. Modern forensics have neither bones nor remnants of hair to go by — instead they use conjecture from medical records.
It is assumed, and we are going with that, he died nearby in Damascus, and the mausoleum at Damascus is an honorarium.
Saladin has an incredible preponderance in Pisces for our mythic time of 6 o’clock at night. If so, this chart suggests a peaceful death — tired and weary from a lifetime of war (Saturn at the MC). It is a nice chart — it begins with the Moon at the beginning of the twelfth house and ends with the Sun at the end of the first. His life was complete, and he had fulfilled his goals in life.
The ascendant is 12 Pisces 40 or “bottles of new wine” from the Hyperion. McClung writes that a “vintage season gets no recognition until the wine is in the bottle and seasoned for a year. But that only occurs if the vintner has faith that the grapes were worth the effort.” The keyword is Optimism. This obviously refers to his creation, the Ayyubid Dynasty, which ran for the next hundred years based on his military victories and stopping further Crusades into the Holy Land.
