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This is a story of Forensic Astrology and The Fremont Bombings …

The case …

In 2001, Thomas Rogers, the Distract Attorney of Alameda County, California successfully prosecuted the Fremont Bombings carried out by the diabolical mind and heinous actions of Rodney Joey Blach. This was one of the most highly publicized cases in the history of Alameda County. The bombings occurring on March 29, 1998, involved six bombs at five separate locations and targeted among others the Fremont police chief, a city councilman and a wealthy Fremont family’s home ($1.5 million). The residential bomb was the largest pipe bomb in U.S. history and had been set on an eight month timer. Had the residents been at home, they would have been killed. When setting bombs in the Fremont community,   intent was always to do as much damage as possible. Blach specifically killed a Muslim family and a woman who had spurned his obsession with her. He had become “aware” some of his “targets” when he placed a bid on a home in 1997 and received a “psychic vision” to put bombs under the home. Fortunately his intended victims backed out of that real estate deal but an innocent family unrelated to the fury of Blach purchased the home unaware of the two ticking bombs under their new home.

Who is Rodney Joey Blach?…

 Rodney Joey Blach had a highly intelligent criminal mind. He was a gifted chemist with an extensive background in law enforcement AND astrology. He had worked for the Chicago Police Department from 1975-1979 as a microanalyst. He had testified many times in court as an analyst for fingerprints, soil and blood. He knew the “system” extremely well. When his locker was eventually searched numerous bomb-making materials, various books on how to build bombs and explode bombs were found. Also found were hundreds of personally written notes and pages relating to astrology.

The players…

The investigation would end up involving approximately 100 members of the FBI, ATF, the Freemont Police Department and a solo astrologer – Vicki Hill, a Research Member of The American Federation Of Astrologers.

The method…

Since the “Astrologese” meant little to the authorities, Hill was contacted and provided with hundreds of Blach’s astrological scribbling. She immediately discerned the darkness and evil that was portrayed through Blach’s words and informed the team that the tool Blach used was Electional Astrology combined with Horary Astrology. Both are considered forms of astrological divination.

The Encyclopedia Of Astrology defines Electional Astrology as, “… A method by which you choose a suitable time for commencing any honestly conceived and reasonable project or endeavor.” Electional Astrology has its roots in ancient times with methodology that can be traced as far back as 500 BC. It is thought to know the answer and present a suitable time to attain it.

Horary Astrology is defined as: “ … answering any question a person cares to ask and that which is calculated for the moment the astrologer hears the query and understands what it is all about. It deals most successfully with concrete, well defined inquiries.” It can also be used as a compass.

About Vicki Hill…

Vicki Hill worked without any recompense about twenty hours a week reviewing the Blach documents while preparing her testimony. The viciousness of Blach had a profound effect on her emotional state as she read through his written madness.

The mad meanderings of the mind of Rodney Blach…

“VISION OF RAFTERS –Under Cover  W e had Mars retrograde, now get Mercury Retrograde! LIE  LOW AND LEARN DAYS Aug 11/12. 1997 I should lie low and do surveillance,  BUT TAKE NO WILD RISKS or SPECULATIONS! Presume eyes/video tape are recording you. Select disposable shoes/clothes. Add weight by stuffing/double-triple layering/sweats top. Use a disposable headband over wig, disposable belt and beard layering. Wear goggles over glasses to hide disposable glasses/eye color. Have latex gloves underneath simple black-dyed cotton gloves. Are the windows dual-pane glass vs. plate glass? Are cameras anywhere? Can you walk quietly? Is there a sleeping bedroom nearby? Watch for late PM lights. SPEED is of the essence. Time is everything-60 seconds. Labor Day weekend or 3:15 AM, ACTION! Check light for Moon Silver. Consider rainy/cloudy night. New/leave at scene/wrap handles plus comes with tape, bags/boxes all left at scene from Cupertino area. Collect negro hair. Collect someone’s napkins or candy wrappers. Familiarize with area: maps/routes vs. dead ends. Beware of police park patrol. Where is the closed police station? Where is the closet fire station? Identify all neighbors’ routines and their businesses. Beware of cab stands. Beware of “near” traffic tunnels. Use the near traffic times. Where is the nearest county sheriff/unincorporated area/CHP station. Does anyone live there? Is there an ADT sign? Stay in trunk once all night and watch if a guard checks in, if police actively patrol the park, and if there are any passers by. Need a handgun for confrontation! Where do I go if chased on foot? Where so I place a get-away car? License plate switched from rental car or steal a plate from identical year/model from another rental location… use the same costume for both plates and checkmates. GENERATE NO STATIC ELECTRICITY… the SOLAR ECLIPSE ON 02SEPT97 UT IS THE SET UP!”

RE: The evening of March 29, 1998, 6:25 p.m. PST

“So Sun is below the DSC (descendant), Therefore Moslems allowed to eat after 6:25 PM PST, SUNDAY,  29MARCH98, “SET TIMING SUCH THAT IN TWILIGHT”, 7:00 PM PST (PACIFIC STANDARD TIME SUNDAY 29MARCH98 … Let the Moon get past all conjunctions and keep the Moon out of the 7th House.”

Later in the document, Blach referred to a “Venus Party” for his enemies – Law Enforcement.  A Venus Party will make everything come to perfection. Me, ruler Pluto, will rise to the Ascendant. The instigator is the ascendant, Me – Querent – Ruler of Scorpio vs. them. MAJOR WORRY (transiting Mercury stationary direct conjunct Transiting Sun) of “EVENT” as (North Node of Moon conjuncts “re-EVENT); (Pluto square Jupiter and South Node of the Moon). OPEN ENEMIES in opposition to ME –RULER- PLUTO. Terrorism in the name of Justice! The police will go BOOM …” (Dialog courtesy of Today’s Astrologer, April 2002, Volume 64, Victoria Hill RMAFA in cooperation with Christine Arens PTMAFA and Thomas C. Rogers Assistant District Attorney of Alameda County, California)

In the early morning hours of March 28, 1998 a bomb exploded in the home of Fremont chief of police and another was found at the home of a Fremont city council member. Astrological calculations were also made pertaining to a bomb that was to explode at another location at 9:02 p.m. PST March 29, 1998. Blach intended to kill a number of policemen leaving behind a voice decoded message (listed above) in an attempt to lure police to another location which was a house still under construction. Police thinking it was a prank call did not follow through but, the following day went to the address mentioned in the call with the bomb squad in tow. More bombs were found under the floorboards but this set was connected to a motion sensor device. They were successfully dismantled. Yet another bomb was found at the city water tower on March 30, 1998.

What Vicki surmised…

Starting from the beginning concerning the placement of the bombs, Vicki felt that Blach had placed two bombs on Labor Day weekend 1997. These had been set on a seven month timer which was designed with Casio watch parts.  The bombs were hidden from construction workers by insulation. One was placed directly under the dining room and the other under the family room. She believed they had been set on September 1, 1997 during a partial solar eclipse set to go off on March 29, 1998  on Zul Hajj a Muslim holiday celebration which was known as “Festival of Sacrifice.” Vicki knew from a theology class she had taken that the subject of Moon-sighting was of interest to all practicing Muslims. Rules such as fasting, and specific dress were followed. The celebration takes place during the last month of the lunar calendar month. The New Moon of March 27, 1998 marked the beginning of Zul Hajj. The “Silver”  or Crescent Moon signals a time when believers can begin to eat. The Crescent Moon was visible in Freemont, California on the evening of March 28, 1998 at 6:25 p.m. PST. The Moon’s last conjunction after the New Moon prior to the bombing had been with Saturn at 5:32 p.m. PST March 28, 1998.  (note two first paragraphs of Blach’s madness above.)

Regarding the “Venus Party”, Vicki explained that in classical horary and Electional astrology, the seventh house is called “the enemy of the chart.” Entities there attack the Ascendant, the physical body of the “querents” or person asking the question. The “ruler” Blach chose to represent himself was Pluto. Pluto is the Lord of the Underworld and may symbolize something that is “buried underground, hidden, death, corpses, buried things … things carried out in the dark hidden from general knowledge, crime, espionage, plots, anarchy, threat by terror and BOMBS.”

After plowing through legal red tape regarding Vicki’s eligibility as a viable “expert”, her testimony was heard on March 2, 2001. She was one of the last witnesses to be called upon. She testified that she believed Blach’s writings were scribed in advance of the bombings using classical Electional astrology in a negative way. She further stated that she referred to dozens of calculations by Blach who had used his own birth chart as well as charts of his intended victims. She felt he had deliberately chosen a time when Mercury was retrograde and conjunct Saturn and Mars to create confusion thereby maximizing destruction and making it difficult for the evidence to be found. Further focus she claimed had been fixed on Fixed Star Baten Kaitos at 21 degrees Aries which Blach considered an evil star. In reference to that Star Balch wrote that “his victim would be bludgeoned into oblivion by the evil star Baten Kaitos ast 21 degrees of Aries on the weekend of March 29, 1998.” He continued with, “She will knowingly make a Faustian bargain, a pact with the devil” and that” he was “her gatekeeper” and she was “a lying bitch and a whore for money.”

Vicki’s testimony helped the prosecution show that Blach’s astrological writings were a confession to premeditated murder. The jury reached a guilty verdict on June 1, 2001. Blach was convicted of eleven felony counts including two attempted murders. He was sentenced on September 4, 2001 to thirty seven years in California State Prison and will not be eligible for parole until thirty –two and a half years have been served.

A brave soul and credit to the art and science of astrology, Vicki Hill undertook the task of unraveling the warped agenda of Rodney Blach despite the grave and frightening danger Rodney he posed to herself and family should he ever be released.