October 21, 2001
U.S. Commandoes Enter Afghanistan
Elite U.S. military units began a secretive ground assault on the Taliban
military last week, opening a new phase of the war on terrorism after two
weeks of punishing air strikes. Pentagon officials wouldn't comment on their
operations other than saying that the special forces are encircling the
Taliban and Al Qaeda leadership.
While the Sun-square-Mars provides the celestial impulse for heightened
military activity, the political astrologer will gain additional insights by
looking into the Pentagon's horoscope (set for the National Security Act on
July 26, 1947; 12:15 pm; Washington DC). The current prominence and exalted
status of Pentagon actions can be seen in Jupiter's station near the
Midheaven. Jupiter's closest aspect is to the political strategy asteroid
Pallas Athena, reflecting the Pentagon's concern and success over diplomatic
efforts.
Projecting the Pentagon's horoscope onto the world map puts a Mars line
slicing right through Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Kashmir. Natally Mars forms
extremely tight links to Jupiter, Mercury, and Juno, with all four now under
extreme stress from the nearby influence of transiting Saturn and Pluto*. The
Pentagon Mars receives escalating pressure to act forcefully over the next
two weeks, and the most immediate threat seems to be not in Afghanistan, but
in Pakistan.
Pakistan's Ascendant (see NewsScope September 17, 2001) is exactly opposite
the Pentagon's Jupiter. A popular uprising, coup d'etat, or massive refugee
problem in Pakistan would destabilize the entire Asian sub-continent. The
first few days of November bring critical astrological developments. Ideally,
these signify some kind of military victory, but long term hits of transiting
Saturn and then Pluto to the Pentagon Mars indicates this region will be an
explosive hotspot for the next two years.
Israeli Tanks Roll into Bethlehem
Last Wednesday the "ultra-nationalist' Tourist Minister Rehavam Zeevi was
assassinated by a radical Palestinian faction. Israeli troops quickly
followed up by pushing into Palestinian territory, seeking to ferret out
potential suicide bombers and other terrorist threats. The latest
developments brought an immediate end to the cease-fire brokered by U.S.
diplomats, as the violence threatened to spin out of control.
The second phase of the Saturn-Pluto opposition is heating up, with these two
planets reaching maximum polarity on November 2. Under the influence of this
cyclical social upheaval, desperate situations require drastic solutions.
Fledgling cooperation is overwhelmed by ultimatums; slow progress and
friendly gestures stomped on by authoritarian leaders and urgent demands for
deep structural changes.
The antagonism between Israel's Ariel Sharon and the Palestinian leader
Yasser Arafat is reaching the point of no return. The pending opposition
between Saturn and Pluto is the short-term fuse on their volatile interface,
but the next few months should bring events to critical mass, with January
being especially troublesome (see NewsScope August 6, 2001 for details).
While this Saturn-Pluto cycle has brought intensely traumatic and unsettling
events, benefits are also shaping up. The international focus on a common
enemy (terrorism) has brought China and Russia onboard, leading to an
unparalleled global unity. How the Palestinian issue is handled by the
international community over the next few months will be inspirational to
sympathetic Islamic nations now verging on civil war between their own
fundamentalist and anti-terrorist factions.
Drew Barrymore Grows Up
Recently Drew Barrymore reconciled with her mother due in large part to her
role in Riding in Cars with Boys, which was released last weekend in theatres
around the nation. In this movie she plays a rebellious teen whose life is
changed forever when she gets pregnant, a role which helped her re-examine
her past from her mother's perspective.
Drew Barrymore was born a misty-eyed Pisces (February 22, 1975; 11:51 am;
Culver City, CA) with her Moon in the family-oriented sign of Cancer. The
Moon's network of aspects includes a beneficial trine to Jupiter, enhancing
her feeling of being a special child, but also conjunct Saturn and square
Chiron, leading to plenty of family problems and deep emotional wounding.
Mercury, the ruler of her horoscope, squares Uranus, and this combination
pushes her to assert her own rebelliousness and independence. However, now
that Jupiter has entered Cancer, and aligns with her own Moon and Saturn, she
is finding the opportunity to reconsider family relationships. The added
factor of transiting Saturn nearing her Ascendant puts her in control of her
own destiny, one that includes being responsible for the relationships that
she creates and sustains.
Drew Barrymore's progressed chart shows resounding success as a powerful
movie producer over the coming year (progressed Sun and Jupiter are
conjunct). Then her progressed Sun moves on to form a conjunction with Ceres
(exact in July 2003), a fertile indicator** for someone expecting to
experience the joys of motherhood herself.
Reader feedback is welcome. Email: [email protected].
* Advanced astrologers will note the confluence of natal and progressed
planets at 17 degrees. The progressed Moon triggers the underlying exact hit
of progressed Saturn to natal Jupiter on November 2, the same day as the
Saturn-Pluto opposition becomes exact. On October 31 the transiting Sun hits
the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant, and transiting Mars hits the Pentagon's
Sun-Chiron square.
** Her progressed Ceres is just now separating from a square to Saturn,
putting her in touch with the challenges of being a caretaker; this aspect
may also include fertility problems.
