January 14, 2002

Mars Activates Solar Eclipse

Last year's Summer Solstice Solar Eclipse is once again being activated by
Mars, a situation that spells trouble for our global village. That eclipse
signified immense potential for spectacular events since it occurred just
minutes after the Sun entered Cancer on June 21, 2001. On the longest day of
the year the Sun had reached its most northern point, or metaphorically it's
greatest height, and then was eclipsed.

Mars is often the triggering agent that releases the dormant potential, and
that happened when Mars entered Capricorn to oppose the eclipse point on
September 11. The Sun-Chiron conjunction on December 23 also opposed the
eclipse point, and that date marked the collapse of the Argentina government,
the military build-up along the India-Pakistan border, and rampant violence
between Israelis and the Palestinians.

Now Mars is about to enter Aries, once again igniting this hyper-active
degree zone. Anyone with important planets or angles in the first few degrees
of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) is being
illuminated for action by this celestial set-up. Among the leading
geopolitical targets will be PLO leader Yasir Arafat since his Mars is
located in early Libra.

Most fearsome is the escalating rhetoric over Kashmir: both India and
Pakistan have Mars in the first degree of Cancer, a point hit by transiting
Mars on January 19. Also transiting Mercury turns retrograde right on India's
Midheaven on January 18 conceivably marking a decision to end diplomatic
dialogue.

Enron Scandal Boosted by Neptune

The scent of scandal piqued Washington last week amid new revelations
surrounding the Enron bankruptcy and it's CEO Kenneth Lay. Officials from
Enron's accounting firm Arthur Anderson admitted to shredding relevant
documents, even after the SEC issued subpoenas for the Enron records. Adding
fuel to the fire came reports that Enron executives sought financial help
from several of Bush's cabinet members.

Astrologically, the planetary indicator for scandals is Neptune. When the
U.S. horoscope gets hit by a major Neptune transit, the political astrologer
can expect scandal. The Scorpio Rising U.S. horoscope (July 4, 1776; 2:21 pm;
Philadelphia) uniquely reflects the current situation since transiting
Neptune is about to square the Ascendant.

Neptune was in this same degree last year for an extended four-month interval
as it slowly turned retrograde while squaring the U.S. Ascendant. NewsScope
was filled with briefs detailing Neptune's influence at that time, including
the Robert Hannsen spy scandal, price controls on pharmaceuticals, and how
national policy favored Bush's oil and gas constituency, most notably
deregulation for Enron.

Now Neptune is back but speeding right through this important degree zone.
The square aspect shows how Neptune is an obstacle, a distraction from the
national campaign against terrorism. Nevertheless, for the next several weeks
we can expect that as the Enron scandal unfolds, once again ordinary citizens
will be reminded that Washington politicians favor major campaign donors.
Perhaps not until Neptune returns for its final square during fall elections
will campaign finance reform be seriously discussed.

Charles Bishop's Mysterious Suicide

At school assemblies his voice rose above all others when singing the
national anthem, and he dreamed of being an Air Force pilot so he could bomb
the terrorists. Yet on January 5 he crashed a Cessna airplane into a Tampa
skyscraper and left a suicide note indicating his sympathies for Osama bin
Laden.

Charles Bishop was born with his Sun, Moon and three other planets in
socially-active Aquarius (February 8, 1986; Wilmington, MA; time unknown).
Accordingly, he did his best to fit in; teachers said he was intelligent and
friendly, and gave no hint that he was mentally disturbed. The transits* to
his natal chart at the time of his suicide mission give the clues to what was
really going on.

Transiting Saturn was exactly conjunct his Chiron, the planetoid often
associated with the feeling of being psychologically wounded. Natally, his
Chiron opposes Saturn and Mars, a dangerously volatile combination. His
woundedness probably stems from his missing father's Arab ethnicity. Part of
him undoubtedly seethed at the hypocrisy of having to conceal his Syrian
birth name Bishara in order to fit into mainstream America.

In a youth's chart the Sun often represents the father. Noting that
transiting Uranus recently crossed over his Sun, the astrologer could surmise
that Charles was recently paid an unexpected visit by his father, who perhaps
reminding him that he is part Arab. Or at the very least he was awakened
(Uranus) to his true identity (Sun) as part Arab. Then, as transiting Mars
made an explosive square to natal Uranus, the inherited, internalized
cultural clash could not be contained within the façade of normalcy.

Reader feedback is welcome. Email: [email protected].

Many thanks to NewsScope correspondent Justin Smith for tracking down
Bishop's birth data. Justin phoned the Tampa tribune reporter covering the
story who obtained the birth date from Autotrak, a service used by news
media.

* Note that Neptune was tightly squaring his natal Pluto, lending credence to
one theory that his mental state was negatively influenced by an acne
prescription linked to suicide and depression.