April 9, 2001
China Holds U.S. Spies
In a high-stakes diplomatic standoff, China continues to hold 24 members of a
U.S. spy plane following a mid-air collision and emergency landing on April
1. China's aspirations to host the Olympics and to enter the World Trade
Organization are in jeopardy, but President Jiang Zemin is exasperated over
U.S. surveillance flights so close to the China border.
China's national horoscope (October 1, 1949; 3:15 pm; Beijing) reflects the
dilemma. Transiting Saturn has just entered the fourth house where it seeks
to establish a strong economic foundation (Saturn is in financial sign of
Taurus). Saturn here also represents the central authority that seeks to
assert its control over domestic unrest. The Falun Gong, the Dalai Lama, and
Taiwan have been the major obstacles in this process.
At the same time, transiting Pluto is forming an exact trine to China's Mars.
Mars in a national chart most often refers to the military establishment, and
when powerfully invigorated by a Pluto transit, the military branch becomes a
potent political force. President Zemin must balance the legitimate military
concerns (Mars) with the needs for economic and domestic security (Saturn).
Meanwhile, Jupiter and Neptune are in the diplomatic air signs of Gemini and
Aquarius respectively. Since these two planets form a Grand Trine with
China's Sun, resolution is within reach. Over the coming week transiting
Saturn hits a critical degree* which shows China's tenacious determination
coming to some climactic head, an eventful turning point.
U.S. Spiraling into Recession
The Labor Department reported last Friday that the U.S. lost 86,000 jobs in
March, the steepest decline since 1991. Until now, economists euphemistically
referred to a "business spending recession." Now that employment figures have
shifted downward, consumer spending will likely fade. Since two-thirds of the
U.S. economy is based on consumer spending, a genuine, across-the-board
recession is arriving.
Astrologically, the planets ushering in this economic cycle are Jupiter,
Saturn, and Pluto (as detailed in NewsScope last December 18). The key planet
is Pluto, now slowly moving through the U.S. second house of money. As
transiting Jupiter and then Saturn oppose this Pluto, we can expect the
recessionary cycle to kick in full force.
Astrologer Steven Forrest does a beautiful job of describing the impact of
Pluto in the second house: "Pluto laughs at nickel and dime bets. It wants
winning to be life-transforming… and the price is that losses are potentially
catastrophic." Over the past few years as transiting Pluto opposed the U.S.
Uranus, the natural ruler of new technologies, the stock market zoomed to
life-transforming heights.
All that is changing now as transiting Saturn and Pluto begin to oppose each
other. Financial analysts look to the stock market as a lead indicator of
where the economy will be in six months. Unfortunately for the NYSE,
transiting Pluto hit natal Uranus in the same week that transiting Uranus hit
natal Pluto. While the NYSE had been trading in a narrow band for months,
this double whammy sent the market into wild gyrations, plummeting and
rebounding hundreds of points daily.
Wang Zhizhi Joins the Dallas Mavericks
Last Wednesday Wang Zhizhi made sports history by being the first Asian to
sign a contract with an NBA team, the Dallas Mavericks. The deal came during
the height of the spy plane incident, and coach Don Nelson commented that "It
would be my wish we would be a positive influence on that with our friendship
here with Wang Zhizhi."
The seven-foot strong forward was born in the family sign of Cancer (July 8,
1977; Beijing; time unknown) with his Moon in pioneering Aries. The Sun in
Cancer and Moon in Aries is a difficult pairing, with sensitivity and
feistiness phasing in or out depending on the mood and situation. "Mentally I
must be ready. NBA games are very cruel," he said, citing the trash-talking
and brutal physical nature of the game.
Zhizhi's Jupiter, representing opportunity and wealth, is conjunct the U.S.
Mars, which symbolizes the military as well as professional sports. As
transiting Mars opposed the U.S. Mars (and Zhizhi's Jupiter), the U.S. was
simultaneously involved in a military incident with the Chinese Army and a
sports deal with an athlete who led the Chinese Army team to six straight
national titles.
At the moment Zhizhi's status remains uncertain. With his Uranus conjunct the
U.S. Scorpio Ascendant, he could be an exciting force. However, transiting
Neptune is squaring this combination, putting a diplomatic cloud of
uncertainty over his professional career. Neptune will remain in this limbo
zone for the next two years, which happens to coincide exactly with the term
of his current contract.
* T. Saturn is entering the 29th degree, where it opposes China's progressed
Sun and Mercury; exact on Saturday. Reader feedback is welcome. Email:
[email protected].
